Ethereal Blossom
by chronicleofcoincidence
Summary: SemiAU She didn't have a name. He gave her one. She didn't have a family. He gave her one. She didn't have friends. He gave her some. But can Sasuke give her what she truly desires?
1. Prologue

Thanks to Chizune, my beta. She is doing a wonderful job helping me with this fic. Also, thanks to those people who are reading this.

Disclaimer: I wish I could own Naruto, but I don't (and probably never will).

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**Prologue:**

She had been there for longer than anyone could remember. So much time had passed that even she wasn't capable of remembering either. But she didn't care about that. She didn't care about anything. It wasn't that she was careless. It had always been like that. She just hadn't been born with the ability to care. She wasn't capable of loving either. In spite of that, she had seen displays of love and care. She had lived long enough to watch many people.

Hate.

Care.

Happiness.

Surprise.

Love.

Love…what was love?

Love was a feeling.

Those "feelings" were things she would never be able to experience by herself. Those feelings were beyond her reach. Only human beings could feel such feelings. Humans were different.

They were ephemeral. Just like a summer breeze that would pass by, but would eventually have to leave for the winter to come.

People only lived for a short period of time. They lived, and died. Their lives could be happy or sad. They were capable of living the way they wanted to. But she… she was different. She was ethereal. She couldn't choose how to live. Her life had already been decided, without her asking for it. But she didn't care.

Many people told her she was beautiful. She had heard it from many voices, so many she had already lost the count. Well, no one had taught her to count in first place. She had seen kisses, hugs and tears. But she had never experienced any of them herself. Those experiences were saved for humans. And she wasn't one of them. Humans were born so they could live their lives.

But she wasn't.

She was born to live. She was alive; she could feel life running through her. She could feel the wind, the sun, and the cold chilly wind. She could hear the sound of the chirping birds, the thunder and the little droplets of water when breaking into the earth.

She was alive, but she couldn't feel.

Was that okay? She didn't know. It had always been that way. She didn't remember having a mother or a father who had taught her anything. She had never had any brothers or sisters. She had never known what it was really like to have a friend. It had always been her, only her. She had been there alone all along. She had been on her own for as long as she could remember. But she had never experienced loneliness.

Her life was boring. Despite so, she couldn't get bored. She didn't have the ability. Each day was the same as the last one. Days, weeks, months, years… life passed by without her noticing. Human life was much more exciting. Each day was different. But… she was different. She couldn't feel. She couldn't share. She couldn't live her life. She was alive, but she couldn't live.

It was a contradiction. Yet that was the way that ethereal beings lived. In a series of contradictions that would just be incomprehensible for the ephemeral.

However, one day… everything changed.

It was a day like any other. It was one of the first days of spring; the sun was setting and the last chilly breezes of winter blew away from the earth, pushed by the young winds of spring. People had been telling her how beautiful she was. Some happy couples had lovingly caressed her.

Just the same as any other day. No difference. At least, until that moment.

Until she heard it. She heard the voice. It wasn't unusual for someone to talk to her, but this person was different. This person was calling her. Asking her to listen. It was a voice full of nostalgia, of sadness. It was…magical, full of power. It made her want something she had never wanted: to go out to meet that person. But she couldn't.

It was forbidden for her to feel. Humans were the blessed creatures, the ones chosen by God to live and feel. Ephemeral, condemned to live bound to death since they were conceived; yet they could live their lives, unlike any other being. And she wasn't one of them.

She was an ethereal.

However, each time, the voice was more and more attractive. It was as if she was a leaf being carried by the wind. She wanted to resist, to be able to tell the voice she couldn't go. Nevertheless, it was all in vain. The voice was too powerful. She had to meet the person.

She gave in.

But before being totally pulled away from herself, she thought:

'Please, forgive me…'

It was the first time she heard her own voice since she had been born. Was it her imagination? But, at the same time, she realized she had never had any imagination.

Then, everything turned black.

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To be continued. Review, please.

COC


	2. Under The Sakura Tree

New chapter. This is the revised version. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Even if I'd like to, I don't own Naruto.

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: **In my story, the Uchiha murder never happened. Sasuke continued living happily with his mom, dad, and sibling, even if they didn't really get on. If you don't like it, then don't read it, but this is my story and I do what I want to, so deal with it.

The arc in the manga, about the Uchihas planning a coup d'état (illegal seizure of government) never happened either.

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Chapter 1: Under The Sakura Tree

Sasuke Uchiha, age 17, was walking home. It had been a really, really long day. He just wanted to get home, have dinner and maybe read a few scrolls before going to bed. He was thankful the weekend was nearing. Tsunade hadn't given him any missions, so he would just rest and train occasionally.

Sasuke Uchiha. The young Uchiha prodigy (though not as much as his brother Itachi). The top of his class. The most handsome guy in Konoha. The best genin in his whole year. All that had been left in the past (except his title of the hottest guy, of course). He was already a jounin, the same as Naruto and Sai, his teammates. Naruto was a really extroverted person, who really loved ramen and didn't miss a chance of going to Ichiraku's, the best ramen bar in the whole of Konoha. Sai was very different. He was quiet and shy. He loved drawing, and his sketchbook was his greatest weapon.

Genin teams always consisted of three people, usually two boys and one girl. But he, Naruto and Sai had been an exception. Not enough girls had passed the academy test that year, so it was just boys, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Sai (he didn't have a surname, or at least he hadn't told them.). And of course, their sensei Kakashi Hatake, who was constantly reading some perverted book. But even if he did all sorts of weird things, like constantly arriving late or wearing that strange mask he wore all the time (his students suspected he kept it on even while he slept), he was a really powerful jounin. He even had the Sharingan, a special eye technique, which only the members of the Uchiha clan could use. He wasn't an Uchiha, but as he had once explained Sasuke, Naruto and Sai, how his best friend, Obito Uchiha, had given the Sharingan to him before he died. Naruto was crying by the end of the story. Sai and Sasuke were quite indifferent.

"Noooooo… Why did Obito have to die? He should have continued living! Even if he was an Uchiha!"

BONK!

"TEME!! What was that for?!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke.

"Dobe, don't you dare insult my family or I'll KILL YOU."

Naruto decided to stay quiet. The Uchiha glare was famous for being lethal, and he really didn't want to experience the consequences.

--

Sasuke yawned. He was part of the ANBU, but he hadn't had any missions recently. When he didn't have any assignments he worked with his dad in the Konoha Police Office, which was where most of the Uchihas worked anyway. He hadn't really done anything- mainly paperwork- but he had been for several hours in front of a desk, without eating, drinking, or sleeping, so you could say he was tired. He really wasn't that exhausted, but his dad insisted that he go home.

Sasuke was wondering if he would be given any missions soon, when he stopped walking. He realized there were two ways of going home. The first one went directly to the Uchiha compound, but he had to walk right through the street where the Ichiraku bar was. The dobe would probably be there, along with his ex-sensei and the artist, and he didn't want Naruto to see him. He would probably force him to sit down and do nothing while he, Kakashi and Sai talked about god knows what, and devoured bowls of ramen. Then they would probably run away, and he would have to pay for their food. He really wasn't up for that, as he was just starting to realize how much he needed a shower. So he decided to take the second route. It went through a park, a really beautiful one. It wasn't the kind of park where kids played, but more like the one where couples liked to walk around holding hands, and then kiss sitting on one of the benches. The route was a little bit longer than the other one, and he didn't really want to walk around disturbing all the private romantic moments. But that was surely much better than being forced to watch people gulping down ramen, and then paying for it. So he decided to take the second way.

He walked by quickly, trying not to be seen. But, surprisingly, he didn't see anyone, so he decided to slow down. It was already night, and the moon was beautiful in the sky. He slowly made his way. It was early spring, and the nights were still quite cold, but he didn't care. He then arrived to the center of the park. There, shining under the moonlight stood a sakura tree. It was still the beginning of spring, and the tree was starting to blossom. It was supposed to be the most romantic place of the park. Sitting under a sakura tree was said to be lucky. The couple that did that was bound to have good luck.

But that day there were no couples.

There was a girl under the tree. She seemed to be around Sasuke's age. She had a petite, slim body. Her hair was a light pink color, and it went down to her waist. She was dressed in a white kimono with a cherry blossom pattern, which matched her hair color. She was lying on the floor, sleeping. Sasuke smirked. She had probably fallen asleep waiting for her boyfriend. But he felt sorry for her. It was quite cold, and she didn't seem to be wearing warm clothes. He didn't know why, but he walked up to her and shook her gently, trying to wake her up. Her kimono was soft, probably made out of the best materials. She didn't move. He shook her with a bit more force but she didn't respond. Sasuke checked her pulse and breathing. She was alive, but her heartbeat and her breathing seemed to be a bit slow. Her skin was really cold. She had probably passed out. Sasuke thought about what to do. Would he leave her there? Okay, he wasn't a bad person, so he wouldn't abandon her where she was. Maybe knock on some random door and leave her there? No…it was too late. Take her to the hospital? He didn't think so. A mission had come back that day with several injured ninjas, and all the medics were exhausted. He sighed. The only thing left was for him to take her home. His brother would probably piss him off, his mother would worry, and his dad would pretend he didn't care, even if he didn't really like it.

Sasuke looked at the girl. Maybe when her boyfriend arrived, he would worry. Well, if he was stupid enough to let his girlfriend freeze in the first place, he surely didn't deserve her.

He carried the girl on his back. She was very light. She must have starved herself to death or something. It wasn't normal for someone to be so thin. But then he realized he had never seen her before. He would have noticed her. Well, he would have noticed her hair. It really stood out. You don't really see people with pink hair every day, do you? Well, maybe she had dyed it or used some kind of jutsu. What if she was a ninja from some other country? But she wasn't wearing any hitai_-_ate (1). How confusing. He tried to do some hand seals to take him directly home, but it was complicated having an unconscious girl on your back. Plus her breasts were pressing against his body, and it was really distracting. He gave up. It wasn't that far off anyway. It was late and there wouldn't be people to see him carrying a girl (they would probably misunderstand the whole thing). So he headed home.

Luckily, he didn't find anyone on his way.

Just before going inside his house, he checked around. His brother wasn't training in the garden, which was good. He could slip into the house without being noticed. He silently went through the back, and entered through the kitchen door. As he had known, his mother, Mikoto Uchiha, was there. She had already finished preparing dinner, and was watching her favorite soap opera.

"Mom?"

His mother turned around.

"Good night Sas… who's that?" she was shocked. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"It's not what you think. Come with me, please."

They went up to Sasuke's room and laid her on his bed. Sasuke told his mother the whole story. Then his mother nodded.

"I want you Sasuke to know one thing." she seemed so serious.

"Erm… what?"

"I want you to know… you're the best son I could ever have!" she practically threw herself on Sasuke, and it caught him by surprise. "You're such a gentleman! Helping a poor girl like that on a cold, dark night! You're a hero!"

Sasuke sweat dropped.

"Okay…sure mom. But please, do me a favor."

Mikoto nodded enthusiastically. Sasuke thought she looked like a five-year old.

"Don't tell Itachi about this. He'll probably make fun of me and then the whole of the village will think I took advantage of her, or something."

"Okay, I won't tell him, but I need to tell your dad. He's the leader here, and we can't keep her here without his permission."

"That's fine with me."

"Okay, now go and have a shower. Don't worry; I'll take good care of her!"

Then Sasuke realized how much he really wanted that shower. And needed it.

--

Sasuke went out of the bathroom, already clean. His hair was damp, and he had changed into more comfortable clothes. Black clothes, of course. He went to his bedroom. The girl was there, still lying on his bed, in the same position he had left her. She hadn't woken up. His mother wasn't there. His eyes scanned the room.

Floor: Normal

Walls: Normal

Bed (besides from the girl laying on it): Normal

Desk: Normal. No, wait. He saw a folded paper on his desk, together with some covered plates. He opened the note and read it:

_Sasuke,_

_Sorry for having to go. Your father and Itachi have just arrived, and I can't let them know she's here. Don't worry, I told them you weren't feeling okay, so you can stay in your room. I've brought you up some food for you. The plate with rice soup is for her. We don't know if she will be feeling okay._

_Mom_

Sasuke felt like laughing. Did his mother honestly think he would feed her or something? He uncovered the two plates. One was a steaming bowl of rice soup. He supposed that that one was for the girl. The other one had a few beef dumplings with miso (2).

He ate the dumplings and the miso. After all, he had been working and he was hungry. When he was finished, he opened the door and left it outside. He then moved his chair beside the bed, and watched the girl. She was certainly beautiful. And hot. And cute. She seemed perfect. He had his own fan club, mostly girls (and some boys, too), but he thought she must have one, too. She probably wasn't from Konoha, and maybe all the boys from her village, or city, or whatever, were all crazy over her. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the girl was stirring. She moaned something incomprehensible. Sasuke looked up, and he met the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Even if they were half opened, you could tell they were green, just like emeralds, or like the leaves of the sakura tree she had been lying under.

"Where…am I?" her voice was dry and raspy.

"Shhh, don't talk right now. I found you unconscious in the middle of a park. I've taken you to my house and I'm taking care of you, okay?"

She nodded. Sasuke went to the bathroom and poured her a glass of water. He helped her drink it. She didn't say anything, but her eyes expressed gratitude. He sat her up. He then asked her.

"What's your name?"

She closed her eyes, concentrating. She was taking her time. Sasuke was starting to get impatient. Was it that difficult? Was asking her name such a complicated question? Her eyes flew open. Then she answered, in a trembling voice:

"I…I don't know."

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(1) A hitai-ate is just the headband ninjas wear with the symbol of their village.

(2) Miso is a kind of side dish for Japanese.

What did you think? Please, read and review.

COC


	3. Who am I?

Well, here is the revised version of chapter 3! I hope you enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

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"_What's your name?"_

_She closed her eyes, concentrating. She was taking her time. Sasuke was starting to get impatient. Was it that difficult? Was asking her name such a complicated question? Her eyes flew open. Then she answered, in a trembling voice:_

"_I…I don't know."´_

_--_

Chapter 2: Who Am I?

The girl was trying to remember. She was trying really hard. But then she realized she couldn't remember anything.

Nothing. Rien. Nada. Res. Nulla.

Not her name, not where she was from… her mind was blank. Like a white sheet of paper, with nothing written on it. That would be a metaphor which would certainly describe her right now. The only thing she remembered was opening her eyes and seeing that gorgeous, hot guy in front of her. He had dark hair and eyes, and he was really handsome. Probably the hottest man she had ever seen. Well, she didn't remember seeing anyone before. She wouldn't admit it, but she was actually quite embarrassed. He was looking at her with such intensity that she was becoming nervous.

"Right now you are in Konoha, but where are you from?" he asked her. He wasn't talking in a pleasant voice. It was a demanding tone.

"I…can't remember."

Sasuke sighed. He didn't want to be rude, but this girl was getting on his nerves. Was the question so difficult?

"Well, do you remember something?" he snapped at her.

"No…"

Okay, that was complicated. If she didn't remember where she was from, that meant she couldn't go back to her place. So she would have to stay with him until she remembered something or someone recognized her. He didn't want to, but he knew his mom wouldn't let her go until she was completely sure she was going to be okay. But how long would he have to take care of her for? Days? Weeks? Months?? He refused to be stuck with this girl. Even if she was really pretty. He would have to think of something. Plus, he didn't want people to ask. It really bothered him.

But he wasn't a monster.

"You know, it's not normal for people not to have names, or not to know where they are from, right?"

He was trying to be extremely nice. She could notice it in his voice. It was _too_ sweet. She decided to agree with him. After all, she didn't want the person who was taking care of her to be mad at her.

"Yes, I know it's not normal."

"So here is what we'll do. I don't want people to ask questions, because it is really annoying. So we will make up an identity for you, at least until your memory comes back, okay?"

She nodded. The truth was, she highly doubted her memories would come back. But it would be okay to be someone. It would be awkward if someone were to ask her her name and she had no answer.

"Sure."

"Your name will be…"he tried to think. "Sakura. I found you under a sakura tree. And it's quite a common name. And you will belong to… the Haruno clan, because of the season of the year we are in (1)."

"Sakura Haruno." she said. "Sounds good. Where am I from?"

"You will be from…" Sasuke looked at his bedroom wall. There he had hung up a map showing all the ninja nations. If he was sent on a mission, he would look at the map to see where he was heading to. He let his gaze fall on a certain area. Not too close to the Fire Country, and certainly big enough for people not to know the whole of it. It was perfect. "You are from the Lightning Country. You are seventeen years old, like me. Okay?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno, from the Lightning Country, and I'm seventeen." Sakura said. It was quite easy to remember.

"Great, that's it then."

Sasuke lifted himself from the bed and sat on the chair.

"And…what's your name?" Sakura shyly asked.

"Do you really want to know?"

She nodded vigorously. He sighed. She was too curious for her own good. He didn't like curious people. They were annoying.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

They drifted into an uncomfortable silence. After some time she said:

"Excuse me…"

Sasuke looked at Sakura.

"Yes?"

"I don't want it to seem as if I'm taking advantage of your generosity, but I'm really hungry. Could I eat something? It doesn't have to be very much," she sweat dropped

He handed her the plate that his mother had prepared for her, along with a spoon. She seemed surprised, but didn't make a fuss of it. She ate everything. He just watched her silently. When she had finished, she looked at him, and opened her lips to say something. But the door suddenly flew open, so Sakura closed her mouth again. Mikoto was standing on the doorstep.

"Oh, I see you are awake." She went up to Sakura and sat down beside her. "Hi, I'm Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother. Nice to meet you! What's your name?"

"I can't remember, but Sasuke-kun said from now on until I remember my real one, my name will be Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you, too!" she answered, happily.

'Sasuke-kun? What's up with the suffix?' he thought.

"I didn't know Sasuke could give such good names! It really suits you!" she giggled.

Sasuke sweat dropped. His mom and Sakura were really similar. They were already talking to each other as if thoughthey had known each other for the whole of their lives! Both of them got on his nerves very easily. Well, all the girls he knew got on his nerves. That was why he just hung around with boys. He could have gone with girls, if he had wanted to (most of the girls in Konoha belonged to his fan club, and they would accept immediately if he asked them). But he thought they were too chatty and bothersome. He didn't know how to handle a girlfriend, and he didn't even think about a wife. Well, it wasn't like he was planning on marrying any time soon. He came back to reality when he realized his mother was talking to him.

"Well, Sasuke, where will she be sleeping?"

"On the couch, of course!"

Mikoto coughed. Sasuke looked at his mom. She was giving him the Uchiha glare. Okay, his glare could be scary, but his mom's was even scarier. She had already had many years of practice. It freaked him out.

"It's okay. She can take my bed. I'll have the couch." he rectified. Mikoto's glare softened.

"Oh, it's all right Mikoto-san, I'll take the couch. He can sleep in his bed. I really don't want to disturb." Sakura kindly said. "You've already done enough for me."

"Sakura, please drop the suffix, just call me Mikoto. But really, don't worry. You won't turn down Sasuke's generous offer right? Sasuke, you don't mind her sleeping on your bed, right?" The last word was full of bittersweet malice.

"_Of course I do!" _"No, I really don't care," he answered.

"Then it's settled! Sasuke, I'll give you some sheets to take down. And don't worry, sweetheart, I'll lend you some of my clothes for you to sleep in."

"Mikoto-san…I mean, Mikoto. This is really kind of you, but I can't accept it. You're too generous. I haven't done anything to deserve it." Sakura said.

"It's okay; I know what we can do! I'm busy lately, so you can help me taking care of the house. You can work with me, and in return, you may live here with us until you remember something, okay?"

Sakura had a small argument in her mind. For or against? In the end, she decided to stay. After all, if she declined, she wouldn't have anywhere to go to.

"Erm…why not? It's really kind of you." she reluctantly accepted.

"Great! Tomorrow I'll introduce you to all of the family members. Now come with me, I'll give you some clothes. Sasuke, dear, you come too."

"Mom, please don't tell Itachi anything about this until tomorrow. I don't want him to pester me." Sasuke was practically begging. Itachi was capable of anything. After all, he loved gossiping. And that was the thing that Sasuke hated the most. For his privacy to become public.

"Don't worry, Itachi was tired and he went to his room so he could rest. He won't notice anything, at least for now."

Mikoto gave Sakura a big shirt she had once bought in the Wave country, and some pajama bottoms.

"Tomorrow we're going to the city to buy clothes, Miss, and I won't take no for an answer!"

"But… that'll cost an awful lot of money! I refuse!"

Sasuke was amused. He lifted an eyebrow. Sakura was the first girl he had known who refused to go shopping.

"Don't worry; money is a thing Uchihas always have. Now, off to sleep!"

Sakura bowed her head.

"Mikoto, thanks for your enormous generosity. I'll never forget it. And thank you too, Sasuke-kun, for having rescued me."

"You're welcome," he said, gritting his teeth. It required a great amount of control not to snap at her, but his mom was there, so he had to be extremely nice. Otherwise she would get mad at him, and the whole of Konoha knew how Mikoto was when she was angry. Sasuke was just an apprentice, in comparison to his mother.

After bowing her head for a last time, Sakura disappeared. Mikoto took some clean sheets out of the closet and handed them to Sasuke.

"I know you don't like her being around, but you brought her here. Now we have to take care of her. So from now on, you are in charge of her." Sasuke's mom poked him in the chest. "She doesn't know anyone, so until she begins to manage on her own, you'll take care of her, whether you like it not. It's an order. Right now, you are the person she has the most confidence in. Be nice to her. Maybe, if she starts to feel better, she will regain her memory." she lectured him.

"Does dad know about this?" Sasuke asked.

"He won't meet her until tomorrow, but we talked about it and he agreed. I'm sure he'll like her."

"So you already had all this planned?" Sasuke was shocked.

"Of course, what did you expect from your dearest mother?"

He sweat dropped.

"Dad and I also thought this would be excellent training for you, so you can learn more about girls. You still haven't got a girlfriend. Not once in your single life! Let's see if you can gain something out of all this…maybe she could end up being your girlfriend!"

Sasuke blushed.

"Mom, stop it."

"It's okay, I was just teasing you. Now off you go!"

"One last thing. Please, don't tell anyone Sakura isn't her real name. She'll be Sakura Haruno from the Lightning Country for everyone else, except for dad, you and I. Please don't tell Itachi or anyone else about it. It's annoying when people are curious and keep asking."

"Okay, I get it. Now change and go to bed- sorry- go to the couch. It's waiting for you!"

"But mom! I can't change, my clothes are in my room and Sakura is there!"

"_Well, you could still go inside and take your clothes. I'm sure you won't mind seeing her in her pajamas…" his inner self said._

"Well, too bad, I guess you'll have to borrow dad's clothes."

"Speaking of dad…where is he?"

"Oh, he said he had a night shift."

She handed him one of his dad's shirts and shorts, and some clean sheets. Then she kissed him on the cheek.

"Good night, Sasuke."

"Good night, mom."

He went to the bathroom, changed into his dad's clothes, brushed his teeth, and headed to the living room. While he walked in front of his brother's room, he could hear his brother snoring. He fixed the couch, and put all the sheets and blankets. He then slipped into them and tried to get some sleep. He was tired. But he just kept tossing and turning, and thinking.

"_Sasuke, have you realized this is the first time a girl sleeps in your bed? Well, actually, it's the first time a girl aside from your mother goes into your room. Aren't you delighted?" his inner self was laughing at him._

"Shut up," he growled.

Sleep didn't take over him until very late that night. The last thought he had before falling asleep was:

'Why the hell didn't I leave her where I found her?'

_

* * *

_

(1)Sakura means "cherry blossom" and Haruno means "spring," or "spring field", which means her complete name would mean something like "spring's cherry blossom".

I hope you liked it. Please read and review.

COC


	4. Marriage Is Troublesome

Hello! Thanks to all of those who've read up to here. The best gift for a writer is knowing that people read his/her stories. Again, thanks to my beta, Chizune, who's really, really helping me with this.

Well, nothing else left to say. Just read and enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I probably wouldn't be writing this but actually making it come true!

* * *

"_Sasuke, have you realized this is the first time a girl sleeps in your bed? Well, actually, it's the first time a girl aside from your mother goes into your room. Aren't you delighted?" his inner self was laughing at him._

"_Shut up," he growled._

_Sleep didn't take over him until very late that night. The last thought he had before falling asleep was;_

"_Why the hell didn't I leave her where I found her?"_

_--_

Chapter 3: Marriage Is Troublesome

Light. Too much light. The light was too bright. Wait. Was there even supposed to be light?

Sasuke opened his eyes. He found himself in a room which wasn't his. But it was very familiar.

'Where am I?' he thought.

The light hurt his eyes. But he made out some details. The walls. The ceiling. The furniture.

'This is my living room. What am I doing here?'

Then, the events of last night came to his mind.

That's right. Sakura. The park. The cherry blossom tree. The map. The bed.

Why was there so much light?

Sasuke sat up. He looked at the window. It was early in the morning, and the sunlight was shining into the room, reaching the whole of it and creating dim shadows on the walls.

He had forgotten to pull the blinds down.

Oh. The windows didn't have blinds in first place.

Sasuke groaned. He hated waking up this way. He lay on the couch again. He was just about to try to go back to sleep when a delicious fragrance reached his nostrils.

Pancakes.

His stomach growled in response.

Sasuke sighed. His body was playing tricks on him. Even if he tried, he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now.

The Uchiha tossed the sheets away, and stood up and stretched his arms. He might as well try to enjoy breakfast, for would have to take care of some serious matters later.

He walked into the kitchen in a zombie-like state. Only his mother was there. She was cooking something on the stove.

He moved a chair, making a screeching sound in the process. She turned around.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" she said happily. "How come you're up so early this morning?"

"No blinds in the living room." He simply stated.

"Oh dear. We didn't think about that last night. I guess we will have to find an alternative solution in the meantime."

He just stared absently in front of him. Mikoto sighed mentally. His body might be awake, but his consciousness was probably still in dreamland. She put a plate with warm pancakes in front of him. Then, something clicked in Sasuke's mind.

"What do you mean, in the meantime?"

"Of course, you won't let her sleep on the couch, will you?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to give an "Of course I will" answer, but before he could, his mother gave a short laugh and said.

"Don't look at me like that! I'll probably be just a day, maybe two, until we get her room fixed up."

Mikot's younger son gave a sigh of relief when his brother came in through the door. Itachi was pretty much in the same dream-like state Sasuke had previously been in, his eyes fixed nowhere in particular.

You could certainly tell they were brothers.

He sat down. Mikoto put another plate in front of him.

"Well, it seems everyone is up early today!" she commented.

Itachi said nothing. He just looked at his plate. Then, his gaze fell upon Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you can close your mouth now. I know, my beauty is extremely stunning, but you don't need to be so obvious about it." He stated.

Sasuke then noticed his mouth was open. He closed it.

Itachi was so extremely obnoxious.

He and his brother ate in silence. Uchihas were famous for eating slowly, and meals were eternal. If a fly had gone by, everyone would have noticed it. It was so quiet. Then, for no appartent reason, Mikoto broke the silence.

"Itachi, I believe your brother has something to tell you."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Sasuke had been in deep thought about nothing in particular. He snapped back to reality. He was now struggling to find the appropriate words. After eyeing his mother, who was looking at him mischievously, he knew what she wanted him to say. But how was he to tell his brother, his indiscreet, gossipy brother, that a girl was in his bed?

"Well, the truth is… what I wanted to say is…"

"Good morning…"

Everyone turned around. Sakura was on the doorstep. She was sleepily rubbing her green eyes. With her over-sized shirt, her long messy hair and that simple gesture, she looked extremely cute. Itachi raised an eyebrow in interest.

'Damn.' Sasuke thought. 'She had to choose the best moment to come in.'

'_Well, after all, it's not like you care that much. Dude, haven't you seen her? She's hot!' his inner self whistled appreciatively. _Sasuke got mad at his other self for letting his hormones control him, so he fired a mental fire ball at him.

"Good morning, Sakura! Come here, we are having breakfast. Oh, you haven't met Itachi yet, have you? Well, Sakura, this is Itachi." Mikoto put a hand on his shoulder. "He is my oldest son and Sasuke's brother. Itachi, this is Sakura. She will be staying with us for a while."

Sakura walked up to Itachi. She let her dreamy eyes fall on him. Not dreamy because of his beauty, but just because she was still sleepy.

"Hello, my name is Sakura Haruno. Pleased to meet you." she mumbled.

He raised a hand.

"Same here."

BONK!

"Mom! What was that for?" Itachi screamed, grabbing his head. A bump was starting to form on it. "It hurts!"

"Be more of a gentleman! Can't you see she is a lovely beautiful lady? Treat her as such!" she answered, shouting at him.

They started fighting. Not fighting in a ninja way, with justus, kunais and scrolls. No, that would have been a lot less destructive. They were fighting in the same way they always did, in a mother-son way. The sums they had to pay to repair the house after such battles were sometimes very high, due to broken furniture, wrecked doors, shattered chinaware, destroyed walls and other damaged properties.

Sasuke and Sakura sweat dropped. This was a rather pathetic scene. Sakura took a seat beside Sasuke and looked at him. He just raised his shoulders in a gesture meaning:

_Whatever_

'_Well, girl, have you looked at him? You are so lucky!' a voice in Sakura's mind said._

'Um... who are you?' she thought.

'_I am your inner self, of course! I am the part of you which will express your deepest thoughts and wishes. Girl, I wish I was in your shoes. Oops, I forgot, I already am. We slept in the bed of this wonderful specimen of a man! We're the best!'_

Sakura sighed. She was sure she had gone crazy. She was talking to herself.

"Well, it seems everyone is in an energetic mood today!" came a voice from the doorstep.

Itachi and Mikoto stopped fighting. Sasuke stopped eating. Sakura just sat there, not knowing exactly what to do. After all, because Mikoto had been busy fighting, she didn't have her breakfast served.

"Father." Came Itachi's and Sasuke's voice at the same time.

"Good morning. You must be Sakura Haruno." He said, staring at her. "My wife has told me everything about you. I am Fugaku Uchiha, head of the Uchiha family."

'_Remember to breathe,' her inner self said._

Sakura looked at the man in front of him. A strong aura surrounded him. An aura of strength and great power. He was the kind of man you certainly wouldn't like to mess with. Well, all of the Uchihas were that kind of people. But this man was different. He emitted feelings of peace and calmness.

Sakura remembered the most basic manners. When you are spoken to, answer. She had to remind herself to talk.

"Good morning, Fugaku-san. Yes, I am indeed Sakura Haruno. It is an honor to meet you," she bowed her head.

He smiled pleasantly.

It was a wise smile, full of knowledge and intelligence. At that same moment, Sakura was certain that Fugaku knew the real story behind her sudden appearance in the Uchiha household.

"The pleasure is mine."

Fugaku took a seat. Itachi, who was still in a fighting position, returned to his chair, with his head down in a gesture of embarrassment.

Five minutes later, the five of them were eating. Not a word was spoken. Fugaku looked around the kitchen from time to time. The fight between Itachi and Mikoto had been very short, and not a lot of things had been destroyed (just some plates and glasses). He tried to calculate the amount of money the whole of the new dishes would cost.

"Mother, father." Itachi's voice rose. "If you don't mind me asking, I would certainly like to know the reason why Sakura-san shall be staying with us."

Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably. Fugaku, who knew the truth, made no comments. Sasuke looked at his mother. He sent her a glance which meant:

_Don't tell him the truth._

Mikoto sighed.

"Well, Sakura's family, the Haruno clan, is from the Lightning country. I was once a great friend of her mother, who lived here for a while. However, after she returned to her land, we lost contact over the years."

Sasuke was amazed. Had his mother been thinking about the excuse she would give?

"And then, we met each other again a few months ago. She happened to be on a trip here. And then, we started talking, and the matter of our children came up.

I told him I had two sons and she told me she had a daughter. That girl was beautiful, smart and hard-working. All the men in her village had proposed to her several times.

She also told me her daughter wanted to travel and know some places around the world. But what she wanted her daughter to do was to get married to a decent young man. She had an awful load of marriage offers, but she had refused them all. She said she wanted to marry a man she liked. Her mother was desperate.

So I told her, "Why don't you send your daughter to live with me and my family for a while? She can get to know another country this way. And, after all, I have a son which is about her same age. If you are worried about marriage, we can get the two of them engaged." Her mother was overly excited with this proposal. After all, the Uchihas are well known for their wealth and power. She thought my son would be a perfect match for her daughter.

And she arrived yesterday. Sakura will be staying with us for a while. She will help me out during the day. And, if she and Sasuke get along well, we will start thinking about having an arranged marriage between the two of them."

Marriage. Brains registered the information.

Sasuke choked on his last bit of pancake. Sakura blushed. Fugaku did nothing. Itachi raised an eyebrow.

'This is going to be interesting.' The older Uchiha sibling thought, patting his brother on the back, trying to get him to breathe.

* * *

Well, that was chapter 4. I hope you liked it. Please, read and review. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

COC


	5. Introductions Can Lead To Surprises

Hi there again! So, here I am with chapter 5 (well, actually 4, since the first one is the prologue...)! I hope you enjoy!

I won't update for a while, because during this week and the next I'm having my finals. Actually, this chapter was nearly finished last week, but I ended it today. But don't expect chapter 6 for a while...

Well, whatever. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Marriage. Brains registered the information._

_Sasuke chocked on his last bit of pancake. Sakura blushed. Fugaku did nothing. Itachi raised an eyebrow._

_"This is going to be interesting." The older Uchiha thought, patting his brother on the back, trying to get him to breathe._

* * *

Chapter 4: Introductions Can Lead To Surprises

Sasuke ended up dressing, and put some of his weapons in their usual places, hidden in the bandages beneath his clothing. He looked around his bedroom. There was no one inside. That was good. He approached the window silently, and carefully opened it, trying not to make any noise.

Why was he behaving so weirdly? Well, the answer was quite simple. He didn't want to be heard or seen leaving the house.

He looked at the first floor. Good. No one was in the garden. That meant he could leave easily. He put a leg over the frame. He could do it. Already half of his body outside. He was ready to take the other half when the door opened with a crash. Sasuke, who was half inside his room, half already outside, lost his balance, and fell out of the window. But, with his amazing chakra skills, he managed to get a hold of the frame, and not fall outside.

Pumping a tiny bit of chakra into his legs, he jumped and entered his room again. There, he was facing a very angry Mikoto.

"Where do you think you're going, young man?" she asked, flames on the background.

"Outside?" Sasuke tried to sound as convincing as possible.

But Mikoto didn't seem convinced at all. In fact, this just caused her to become angrier.

"And why were you going outside through the window?"

"I felt like doing so?"

Mikoto sighed, calming down. Sasuke didn't realize he had been holding his breath. He let it out.

"Well, Sasuke. I'll explain something. Because today is Sakura's first day here, she won't start working until tomorrow. In the afternoon, both of us will go shopping. But, in the morning, I want you to show her around the village and introduce her to your friends!" she said.

Sasuke decided this wasn't the best day of his life.

"But today…"

Flames rose again.

"Erm, sure. I will introduce her to everyone," he rectified.

Suddenly, the background became covered in fancy pink roses, and Mikoto's expression was that of utter satisfaction.

"That's good! Sakura, come inside! Don't stay out there."

Sasuke looked at the door frame. Sakura was standing there. She was dressed in the same way he had found her the day before, but now the kimono had been washed and ironed. Her hair had also been carefully brushed, though it had been let down. This gave her a tidier appearance than the previous night. Sasuke wondered if she had been there since his mother came in.

Sakura went happily into Sasuke's room. She didn't seem offended at all by any comments he had made.

"Well, I'll leave both of you. I need to go shopping. See you later!" Mikoto waved, and exited the room.

Sasuke and Sakura were left alone. The room filled with an uncomfortable silence.

"So… are we going?" he asked.

"Sure, Sasuke-kun!"

She went to the window, and opened it.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She pointed outside the window and looked at him with a confused expression.

"Aren't we supposed to go out through here just like you were doing?"

Sasuke sighed. She was very naïve. Or stupid. Was there that much difference?

"Forget about it. We're leaving through the front door."

--

Thousands of girls were killing Sakura with their gazes. What was she doing, walking next to their Sasuke-kun?

At the same time, thousands of guys were killing Sasuke with their gazes. What was he doing, walking next to such a hot girl?

Sakura seemed completely oblivious to this fact. She just walked along, looking at all the shops around, sometimes asking things about a particular place. But Sasuke noticed the stares. From both sexes. He felt awkward, having all those eyes on him. Insert sweat dropping.

"Can't they go away?" he angrily thought. "I wish there could be some sort of distraction..."

And his wish was granted.

Sasuke saw Ino Yamanaka, one of the genins he had graduated with, walking towards them. She was a blonde with big blue eyes. But you shouldn't be taken in by her innocent looks. She was actually quite powerful, having inherited the mind transfer jutsu from her clan. She was still a chuuin, but she was taking the next jounin exam along with Chouji, one of her teammates. Shikamaru was already a jounin.

The blonde made her way through the crowd, waving merrily until she came up to them. She was dressed in her usual training attire.

"Sasuke! What a coincidence! I have just been asked to deliver a message to you!" she said, bouncing happily. She carried a bag full of groceries in one hand. She realized Sakura was firmly staring at her.

"Huh? Who is she?" she asked Sasuke.

"Ino, this is Sakura Haruno. She is the daughter of my mother's friend, and she will be staying with us at my house for a while. Sakura, this is Ino Yamanaka, a friend of mine. We both graduated together." He said.

And everything was true. Because, even if Sasuke was a bit cold-hearted, he had made friends over the years. He was good friends with the rookie nine, and their respective senseis. He also knew some teams from other years, such as the one formed by Neji, Tenten and Rock Lee, or the one whose members were Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi. He had also got to meet with tams from other villages, such as the Sand Brothers.

But, out of all the girls he had met, Ino was the one he was probably the best acquaintanced with. That was because Ino secretly liked Sai. Naruto was incapable of keeping a secret, so she had told Sasuke. That had brought them closer, enabling a relationship of closeness and trust to build between them.

Ino eyed Sakura with interest. She reached her hand out in a friendly manner, with her usual energy.

"I'm Ino! It's nice to meet you, Sakura!"

Sakura shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure!" she answered, equally enthusiastic.

Sasuke coughed. Both girls faced him, still holding hands.

"Well, what was that important thing you were supposed to tell me?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right! I nearly forgot! Tsunade wants to see you this afternoon. She said you have to be at four in her office. It's only you, though. She said she didn't want you to bring your team."

That probably meant an ANBU mission. He was happy to hear so: that meant, no Sakura, Mikoto or Itachi for a few days.

"Thank you very much Ino. I'll be there for sure."

Ino glanced at her watch.

"It's getting late. I've got to get going. Anyway, make sure to come round the flower shop some time, okay? I'll be waiting for you! Bye Sasuke, bye Sakura-chan!"

"Bye." Both of them answered at the same time. Ino got lost in the crowd.

"She seems really nice." Sakura said, while they continued walking.

"Hn." was his answer. He kept on walking, not really looking where he was going.

"Look, it smells good!" Sakura pointed to a restaurant nearby. Sasuke looked in that direction.

Ichiraku's Ramen Bar.

Oh no.

He had to get away from here. If not, he would surely stumble across his blond, loud-mouthed teammate, his perverted sensei and the quiet and heartless artist.

"Teme!!"

Too late.

"Damn." Sasuke thought.

Suddenly, a blur of yellow, orange and black appeared before him. Sasuke looked into the blue eyes of his teammate, who was looking at him disapprovingly.

"What are you doing, walking next to such a cute girl without telling us anything?"

Kakashi and Sai nodded approvingly from the background. Sakura just blushed a lot. She was quite flattered upon hearing this stranger compliment her.

Sasuke just mentally sighed. He would have to introduce her to everyone anyway, so why not start right away?

"Sakura this are Naruto Uzumaki, Sai and Kakashi Hatake." He pointed at each of them respectively while saying their names. "Naruto, Sai and I used to be in the same team, and Kakashi used to be our sensei. Guys, she is Sakura Haruno, and she will be staying at my house for a while."

Naruto's eyes filled with tears.

"Why? Why does a cold bastard like Sasuke have beautiful girls in his house and I don't? Why?"

Naruto stopped crying as soon as Sasuke's fist crashed against his skull, leaving a bump there.

"Don't mind him. He is stupid and narcissistic." Sasuke commented, talking to Sakura.

Kakashi and Sai nodded again.

"Well, Sakura-san, it's a pleasure to meet you." Kakashi kneeled in a gentleman manner, grabbed Sakura's hand and kissed it. She just flashed him a small smile.

"It's a pleasure for me, too."

Sai just bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Naruto were having a fight. A huge fight. Sasuke had his hand next to his weapon pouch, and Naruto was starting to make hand seals.

"Guys, guys, stop it already. Why don't you go and solve your differences in the training grounds? We don't want any injured people here."

"Okay. Last one to get there is a snail!" Naruto childishly exclaimed, running off. Sasuke followed him.

Sai and Kakashi just sighed. Sakura didn't know what to do.

"As competitive as ever." The sensei whispered. "Why don't we just use a transporting jutsu?"

"Sure." Sai said.

Kakashi bowed once again.

"May I?"

Sakura knew he wanted to use the technique on her, since she wasn't a ninja.

"Sure."

Kakashi did a quick series of hand seals, and pressed the palm of his hand on Sakura's forehead. A weird sign appeared there, and Sakura vanished with a poof. Sai and Kakashi followed her.

Sakura had the feeling off being sucked into a kind of black hole. She then tried to settle herself, and breathed in. She noticed land under her feet again.

Boom.

She opened her eyes. Kakashi and Sai appeared beside her. And she saw the most terrifying thing she had seen since she had arrived.

There were people fighting in the grounds. She could spot three of them. Two boys and a girl. The girl was probably her age, and she had purple hair and pupil-less eyes. One of the other boys wore dark sunglasses, and a coat which covered his face. The other boy had brown spiky hair, weird tattoos on his face and was accompanied by a huge dog.

The three of them were fighting, using destructive jutsus and attacks. They were going to kill each other!

Sakura look at Kakashi with a terrified expression. He just smiled pleasantly under his mask.

"Welcome to the training grounds."

"Aren't you going to do something to stop them? They'll probably end up wounded if you don't do so!" she worriedly blabbered.

"Don't worry, this is just group training. Ninjas do it every now and then. And, besides, this is going to end soon. Kiba will be taken down."

"Kiba?"

"The ninja with the dog. Just watch."

And so she did. And, effectively, a few seconds after the girl with the pale eyes did a quick hand seal, ran at such speed it was difficult to follow her with the eyes, and pressed on the guy's neck. He fell on his back.

Sakura was too far away to hear what they were saying exactly, but the guy nearly screamed the following words.

"Okay, you win."

The ninja with the sunglasses said something, and he helped the dog-boy stand up. The girl stood there, panting slightly. You could tell she was tired. Sakura looked up to Kakashi.

"How did you know that he was going to loose?"

"Oh, not by any reason in particular. But you could tell his movements were becoming slower, and Hinata was getting ready to use her final movement."

Sakura guessed Hinata was the girl.

"Hah! I won!"

Sakura, Kakashi and Sai turned around. Naruto was running towards them, followed closely by Sasuke. But Sasuke didn't seem to care. In fact, he was smiling. Not exactly smiling. He was grinning mischievously.

Naruto spotted Sakura ahead. He ran towards her, arms wide open, eyes full of tears.

"Sakura-chaaaaan!"

He suddenly tripped, and fell to the floor. Sasuke graciously jumped over him, and landed in front of Sakura. She noticed he was holding a few threads which were tied to Naruto's left ankle.

"I won." the Uchiha simply stated.

Naruto rose from the floor and pointed at Sasuke.

"You… you cheater! It's unfair! You used ninja thread!"

Sasuke just chuckled darkly.

"Too bad, you idiot."

"What? Wait until we fight, you…"

Kakashi cut them.

"Shut it off. The other team has just finished training. Lets be at least a bit mannered, okay?"

Sasuke shrugged. Naruto snored and looked away.

The three other ninjas came to greet them, accompanied by the huge dog. Sakura noticed that the girl was fidgeting nervously, and her face was beet red. Hmm... she didn't have a lot of experience, but either the girl was very shy, or she liked one of the boys who were there.

"Good morning, Shino, Hinata, Kiba. And Akamaru too." Kakashi said, raising his hand. The dog just barked happily.

"Good morning, Kakashi." Shino was the first to answer.

The dog boy just lifted his hand in a polite manner.

"Hi Kakashi. Naruto! What are you doing here?"

"Kiba! Nothing in particular, just came to train. So, how did it feel to loose?"

Kiba scratched the back of his head.

"Oh man, it was awful! Don't talk to me about it. I feel ashamed. By the way, who's the new girl we've got here?"

Naruto put his hand over Sakura's shoulder, just like if they had been friends forever instead of just knowing each other for less than an hour.

"Guys, this is Sakura Haruno, a friend who'll be staying at Sasuke's house (lucky bastard…). Sakura, these are Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuuga. They are a ninja team, team 8 to be more exact. We've been friends since we graduated, five years ago."

The girl just fidgeted even more nervously.

"So it's Naruto." Sakura concluded.

The dog barked, feeling excluded.

"Oh, I didn't forget you Akamaru! He is Akamaru, Kiba's dog."

"Pleased to meet you all." Sakura smiled politely. She was wondering how many more introductions she would have to through that day.

Shino pushed his glasses over the bridge of his nose.

"I'm equally pleased, Sakura-san."

"Yeah, that's right! It's always a pleasure to know such pretty girls!"

Sakura blushed once more. She couldn't get used to strangers complimenting her.

"He-hello Sakura-san… I. I hope you feel welcome here…"

Sakura looked at Hinata, who was fidgeting even harder. She guessed she was nervous, too.

"Don't worry Hinata-san. Everyone here is really helpful. I feel like at home."

And it was partly the truth. Because it was the only place she remembered belonging to. Hinata seemed to believe what she said, and calmed down a bit more. She was probably an extremely shy person by nature. And having her (possible) crush in front of her didn't make things easy at all.

"I-I'm glad…"

"So Hinata-san, I saw how you finished off Kiba-san! It was amazing!"

Hinata just blushed a tiny bit.

"Tha- thank you Sakura-san. Actually, it's part of my family's techniques…"

And that way, Sakura and Hinata distanced a bit from the group, having a girl's conversation. The boys were just talking about training.

Sasuke overheard a bit of the conversation the girls were having. Hinata was telling Sakura the basics of the Byakugan, or White Eyes. He saw her activate it. Sakura's mouth opened, and she clapped in amazement.

However, the expression of Hinata changed totally. After eyeing Sakura, her face became stunned.

"Sakura-san, you didn't tell me you were a ninja! What rank are you? I don't see you wearing any hitai-ate!" Hinata said everything in one breath.

Sasuke moved over.

"Hinata-chan, she is not a ninja."

Hinata's face became confused.

"But… her charka flow…"

Suddenly, Sasuke had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling. He activated his Sharingan and looked at Sakura.

At that moment, he gave thanks to God that Hinata was still a chuuin so her Byakugan wasn't completely developed and working at the maximum. Because, if it had, and had been able to fully see the real amount of chakra within Sakura, she would have been even more surprised.

With his Sharingan at full level, he could see her charka flow was extreme. Overwhelming. Her body contained endless amounts of charka. There was even more than what Naruto had, and with more power than the Hokage herself, yet at full control.

Her charka was probably more powerful than his own.

"What the…!"

* * *

Please read and review? Let me see what you think. I accept suggestions, corrections or anything.

COC


	6. Protection Of Her Secret

Hello! Here's a new chapter of my story. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

* * *

_With his Sharingan at full level, he could see her charka flow was extreme. Overwhelming. Her body contained endless amounts of charka. There was even more than what Naruto had, and with more power than the Hokage herself, yet at full control._

_Her charka was probably more powerful than his own._

_"What the…!"_

* * *

Chapter 5: Protection Of Her Secret

Sasuke was… stunned. Shocked. Thunderstruck. At that moment, he could be described using all the words which held the meaning of being left in shock.

That was the last thing he could have ever expected. When he first had seen her, he had pondered on the fact that she could have been a ninja. But he had never taken that possibility seriously. When he looked at Sakura, at her long pink hair (just so impractical), at her fragile build, at her pink kimono, her sheepish smile, her innocent and clueless attitude…none of this reflected the fact that she actually was a ninja. It was totally impossible, with such amount of chakra, for her not to be a ninja. And if she was a lost ninja, being as powerful as she was… you couldn't expect anything but problems with her village.

But then again, she said she couldn't remember anything. In Sasuke's mind, the greatest probability would be a mental injury, probably caused during a mission, which would've caused her the amnesia. But a few theories remained unexplained. What was she doing under a sakura tree in the middle of Konoha? What was she doing in such a fine kimono, with no hitai-ate, sleeping? Many things remained unexplained, and unfortunately enough, not even Sasuke's brain could tie everything together.

Meanwhile, the boys had paused their conversation and were staring at the group of three. Thankfully, none of them had heard Hinata's statement before, so they couldn't possibly know what they were talking about. They had probably noticed the expression of disbelief which was plastered on Sasuke's face.

Seeing such a human emotion plastered on the youngest Uchiha's face was, at least, something to worry about.

Right then, Sasuke decided, the most important thing was not to blow the cover he had managed to create for Sakura. Everyone needed to be kept in the dark about the real story. It wasn't because he wanted to protect her. That was the last thing in his mind. If he was taking care of her, was just because he had pitied her. And, propelled by that feeling, he had taken her home. His idea had been that, as soon as she woke up, she would leave, go back to her home, and live happily ever after away from him. But things had taken the wrong turn when her amnesia had been revealed. His mom had insisted of taking care of her. So, really, he just took care of her temporarily because his mother had told him so. He didn't hold any feeling of friendship, love or likeness towards her. He didn't hate her either. He just felt she was a stranger in his life. Nobody he had to care for.

The only reason why he wanted to protect her secret was because it would mean trouble for him, and for his family. Questions would arise everywhere: "Why did you get her? Why did you allow her to stay in your house? Why did you show her the village? Why did you introduce her to your friends?" There would probably be people who would misunderstand the whole thing, even if he tried to explain. Itachi would probably tease him for the rest of eternity (after all, he just loved to) and, when her family of her friends eventually showed up, he would be either pictured as the angel or the demon. He didn't want any of those labels. And he couldn't hang around posters with her face, or explain the real story. That would be just illogical at this stage. Of course, he wouldn't explain the marriage part to anyone. They had to believe she was just a friend.

Sasuke then faked a big smile. A really big, really fake one.

"I'll be right back." He told the guys.

He then grabbed both of the girls' arms, and ran a few hundred meters with them. After they arrived to a secure spot, Sasuke bent down, and looked from side to side, making sure no one could hear them. Sakura and Hinata were getting scared.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, visibly annoyed for being dragged along without an explanation. Hinata said nothing, but seemed a bit…uncomfortable. She and Sasuke were friends, not the best friends, but friends anyway. More like a lost term between acquaintance and friend. But she didn't understand what had gotten into him all of a sudden.

Sasuke wasn't much of an actor. But he had to put a play that second. Inside his head, he had written all the script. He just needed to follow it.

"Hinata-chan, you know we're friends, right?" he said, putting a serious expression on his face (but since he always wore a serious expression, no one would've guessed he was just acting).

"Ye-yeah…"

"I really, really trust you'll be able to keep a secret." That wasn't a lie. Sasuke knew Hinata was discreet and loyal, and Sasuke knew she would perfectly stay silent about what he was going to tell her.

"Yes, I will." She said in a voice a tiny bit more confident.

"Okay. You see, in reality, Sakura is a ninja from another country which is here on a very important mission. I can't tell you what the mission is about, since it's strictly confidential information which I don't even know about, but you have to stay quiet, okay? She's come here as an incognito, and she must remain as so. No one can know she is a ninja. Everyone must continue to believe she really is a friend. Isn't that right, Sakura?"

A confused expression showed up on Sakura's face for a second. It was just a second, but, unfortunately enough, Hinata was quick enough to see it. Sakura quickly rectified, smiling broadly (even though she was internally confused.)

"Uh… yeah, that's right! That's the real story!" Sakura exclaimed, trying to sound confident about it.

"I'm sorry... Sasuke-kun… Sakura-chan… but I don't believe you!" Hinata exclaimed. She suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, as if though she regretted saying so. "I mean… I just saw Sakura-chan's confused face. And the-there are a few details which don't make sense either. I saw from afar the expression she had when she saw us training… if she had been a ninja, I don't think she would've been surprised. Besides, everyone in the world knows what ninja training is. And she asked me everything about the Byakugan and about my family. The Hyuuga family is well-known around the world, just like the Uchiha one. I also noticed your expression when I told you about her chakra. You were surprised, and I know you weren't faking it. Besides, her chakra is too… weird to be normal. I mean, it doesn't seem to be created from within her. It's… like she uses it absorbing energy from the outside, as well as her own energy. And strangely enough… she is missing most of her chakra points. I'll accept if you don't want to tell me the truth… but please, don't lie to me."

Sasuke was sure that was the largest amount of words Hinata had ever spoken. She was, by nature, a silent person. So she must've really liked Sakura to really want to know what was going on with her. He half-smiled. If Hinata wanted to know the truth, she would (after all, she was discreet). That way, Sakura would have someone her age she could talk to about her problems, and so she wouldn't tell Ino (who would most probably not keep her mouth shut.). That would solve another problem.

"Okay, Hinata-chan, here goes the real story. And this is the real, real one. But the conditions are the same: you can't tell anybody about it. People would misunderstand. Oh, and don't tell anybody about her chakra. That would just complicate things even more, okay?"

Hinata nodded.

"I found Sakura yesterday. She had fainted under the sakura tree of the park, and I don't know why, I ended uo taking her home. Don't look at me with that face, I wasn't thinking anything bad! Anyway, she woke up and we found out she has amnesia. She doesn't remember anything. So my mom and I created this story so people wouldn't annoy us. That's all."

"So then… how do you know her name?"

"I made it up. You see, since I found her under a sakura tree, and since we're in the spring, I just came up with that name."

"But…isn't it dangerous to have her here? I mean, you can easily tell she is a very powerful person. Don't you think you'll be in trouble?"

"You see, I've just found this out as soon as you said it. I hadn't used my Sharingan on her, so I had no idea. I had thought she was simply a girl who had fainted waiting for her boyfriend or something. I'll talk to Tsunade about it afterwards. She'll know if any village has a missing ninja."

Hinata then realized Sakura hadn't said anything. She just stood there, a few feet away from them, with a face between annoyed and ashamed. Such a face should've been impossible to make, yet there was Sakura. Hinata didn't quite know what to say.

"Well, Sakura-chan… I-if you ever need so-someone to talk to… I'm right here." She muttered.

"Oh, Hinata-chan, thank you so much."

The girls hugged each other. Sasuke just looked away, and sweat dropped. Girls' moments really annoyed him.

"Well, I'll be going back. If not, the rest of guys will start to worry thinking I kidnapped you."

Sakura's sharp answer came immediately.

"That's exactly what you did."

Sasuke just ignored her, and walked away. Sakura and Hinata followed him, staying a few meters back while talking about things Sasuke wasn't the slightest bit interested in.

Soon, he got back to the spot where the rest of guys were still talking. As he had expected, none of them had been foolish enough to try and look for him.

"Yo, Sasuke, did you kidnap the girls or what?" Kiba asked.

"Noooooo! Sakura-chan! Come back!" Naruto screamed, while starting to run around, pressing his hands against his temples in desperation. Sai slapped him on the head.

"Ouch! That hurt! I have to go and find Sakura-chan!"

Sai pointed to the approaching females.

"They are coming."

And effectively, they were joined by them a minute after.

"So, what were you guys talking about before we interrupted?" Sasuke asked, not wanting anybody to ask about the reason for them leaving.

"We were talking about having lunch together today." Kakashi said. "Since it's quite a calm time, most of the ANBU teams are here, so we were talking about inviting TenTen, Neji, Rock Lee and Ino over to eat today. Chouji and Shikamaru had to go to Hidden sand to deliver some secret scroll, I think. So, what do you say?"

Sasuke would've gone if it wasn't for a small detail. Neji was going to be there. Neji Hyuuga, Hinata's older cousin. There was a remote chance, remote, but still there, that Neji could use Byakugan for whatever reason and see Sakura's chakra. That would be a problem. Neji wouldn't doubt to spread word around if he thought she could be dangerous. So, until the problem got solved, or Tsunade could provide some answers, Sakura would be kept apart from Neji.

Keeping her apart form Itachi would be another story… but at least, Itachi knew Sakura. He knew she meant no harm. So, at least, he wouldn't attack her. It wasn't that he cared about her. He just didn't want to bring problems. What would happen if a poor, innocent girl who was staying with the Uchihas was harmed? Answer: trouble, for both him and his own clan.

"I think Sakura and I will pass. Since she arrived yesterday night, and she isn't used to the village, we thought it might be best if she ate at home during the first few days… just in case she gets indigestion."

That was the lamest excuse Sasuke could come up with, but nobody questioned him. Only Sai seemed to glance at him for more time that usual, switching to Sakura afterwards. A chill ran up her spine. What was with this guy?

"Well, since we still have spare time until lunch, why don't we train together?" Shino asked.

"That's a good idea! Sakura-chan, do you think you'll mind watching us train for some time? You might get bored." Kakashi concernedly said.

"Oh, really, don't worry about me! I mean, I'd love to see you train."

"Any objections?" Kiba spoke.

Silence filled the air. It was obvious everyone felt energetic that morning.

"Okay. Let's make the groups."

Sakura sat, her back on a tree, from a secure distance. During a couple of hours, she watched them train, rest, switch partners, train… and so on. Watching, she found a peculiarity about every person's fighting style. Hinata's delicate, but precise movements. Sai's drawing in the middle of battle. Kakashi's ability to do all kinds of different moves. Shino's perfect control of bugs (though that thought made her shudder in disgust.) Kiba's synchrony with his dog. Naruto's impulsive attacks. And, most of all, she noticed Sasuke. Sasuke and his Sharingan, his electric and fire jutsus, his physical attacks, his use of weapons… it wasn't like she was in love with him. No, she definitely wasn't in love.

But, after she had seen everyone fight, she decided Sasuke was, decidedly, the most interesting one to watch. He didn't concentrate on chakra, like Naruto, nor used too many weapons, like Shino and his bugs, nor he used illusions, like Kakashi. He was a mixture, a second using weapons, a second after usinf his fire, a second after copying techniques. He used a wide variety of methods, being good at all of them.

Time passed with her barely noticing. Suddenly, as if though someone had set an alarm on, all of them stopped fighting. They rested, and sat next to Sakura to comment their practice.

"Your Rasengan was totally amazing today, Naruto!"

"Hey, Kiba, so you think you could teach me the technique you used on me? I really liked it!"

"Good fight, Uchiha."

"Hinata, I've noticed your Byakugan is getting sharper1 Keep it up!"

"Wow, Sai, the ink snake was really fierce!"

Sakura just smiled, not understanding most of the attacks' technical names. In a moment when nobody was talking to her, Hinata leaned and whispered in Sakura's ear.

"You should be able of doing some of these things, Sakura-chan. After all, you do have chakra, and that's what's needed. Would you like me to teach you some of the basics?"

Sakura wanted to scream out in delight, but she remembered that no one should know about her powers, or whatever they were called. So she just nodded.

"Well, Sakura and I will be going now." Sasuke announced. "It's getting late. It's been a pleasure to see you all."

"Yes! I hope we can soon see each other again. You're all such good fighters. I was so entertained! I hope you won't mind if I actually come and see you sometimes."

"No worries! You can drop by whenever you feel like it. It might not be us training, but I'm sure they'll let you watch anyway." Kiba said.

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

After the typical goodbyes, Sasuke and Sakura left. Sakura was so excited that, as soon as they were at a safe distance, she started talking. And she couldn't stop.

"Wow, Sasuke-kun, it was so amazing! I mean, I really, really, enjoyed watching all of you train. And guess what? Hinata said she could maybe teach me a few basic techniques. Since I have this chakra, I can actually fight!"

Sasuke wasn't really paying attention to her. But he heard when she commented Hinata's proposal. He thought about the pros and cons. Sakura could learn to defend herself that way, which wouldn't be a bad thing. But what did she want to defend herself for anyway? It wasn't like somebody would actually attack her. But… it might as well help. Since he had seen Sakura's chakra, something had bothered him. It wasn't like the chakra of a rookie. It was controlled. And she actually had huge amounts, more than himself, and only practice could provide you with such quantities. Well, Naruto was an exception. He had the nine-tailed beast. But Sakura… she had no beast. He wasn't sure why, but he knew. But then again… keeping all that chakra inside of her might be a bad idea. A waste.

"I'll let you practice under three conditions. The first, you'll train with her in a place where nobody can hear you, smell you, feel you or see you. The Uchiha training grounds will probably be thw best option. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Second, you're not allowed to tell anybody except for me, Hinata, my mother or my father about your training."

"Yes sir!"

"And third… I'll go see what you're capable of doing the first session. After then, you're to inform me about everything you do with Hinata."

"Yes sir!"

"Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!"

"Okay. Can you please stop calling me sir?!"

"Yes sir!"

Sasuke sighed. A long, long day waited ahead of him.

* * *

I hope you liked it. Please, comment on anything you liked or disliked, and what you think needs to be improved upon. Reviews make my day!

COC


	7. Of Problems, Worries and Hopes

Here goes chapter 6 of EB. As I promised, I won't let this half-way through. I will finish it, even if I take my time. But now I am on a writing binge, so I will probably post a few chapters during the following months.

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"Do you understand?"_

_"Yes sir!"_

_"Okay. Can you please stop calling me sir?!"_

_"Yes sir!"_

_Sasuke sighed. A long, long day waited ahead of him._

Chapter 6: Of Problems, Worries and Hopes

Sasuke entered the Hokage's building at ten to four.

He had left Sakura at home after having eating with his mother. During lunch, he had pretended that nothing had happened, just sitting with his usual stoic face and making his usual sarcastic comments. But he had spent the whole meal thinking about the strange quantities of chakra produced by Sakura. The more he thought about it, the more he realized nothing made sense. Nevertheless, he just kept his gaze fixed on his food, like he didn't care about anything else.

However, when Sakura had excused herself and left for some minutes, he had briefly told Mikoto about the incident with Hinata and her proposal. She hadn't said anything while he spoke, but as soon as he asked for her opinion, she started talking.

"I think the conditions you imposed on her should be fine. If she does what you told her, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Hinata is a sensible and mature girl, and I'm sure she'll be able to help out Sakura a lot. And it might turn out for the best. After all, Sakura needs to waste her energy on something. Helping me around won't do it. So I approve."

"Thank you, mother."

"However, you are aware that you must talk this over with the Hokage, right? I can give you permission, but she is the leader of the village, so she should be informed of this. If she doesn't find it convenient, and she forbids Sakura from training, we will have to agree."

"I know. I will tell her today. But knowing her, I'm sure she will let us do it as long as it doesn't threaten the village's peace. I'll also tell her to try and locate her family."

"Right now, that's our most important priority. If we can contact with someone who knows her, I'm sure a lot of mysteries will be solved."

"I also think so."

"But you have to be more careful from now on, Sasuke. I know it was my fault for telling you to introduce her to your friends. I could've never imagined that something like this would happen. But since we know now, we have to be twice as cautious. We should try and put some barriers around her. There are too many Uchihas and Hyuugas in this village that could see her chakra and try to harm her. So we must try to get all the village to know her before we can actually let her be around alone. So she will have to be kept in company until that happens."

"That…"

Sasuke closed his mouth as soon as he heard Sakura coming down the stairs. A few seconds later, her head peeked from the doorstep.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"Of course not, sweetheart! Sasuke was just telling me he's going to see the Hokage now, so he's already leaving."

"Yeah, that's right." He agreed.

"Oh… okay then." A look of loneliness invaded Sakura's eyes for a second, but she was fortunate enough to recuperate her composure before Sasuke or Mikoto noticed.

"I'll be going now." Sasuke announced.

He walked out of the kitchen and out to the corridor. As he sat down on the entrance to put on his ninja sandals, which were between Sakura's wooden thongs and Mikoto's ones, he noticed someone staring at him from the back. When he turned around, he saw Sakura there.

"What do you want?" he asked, tiredly.

"Um… nothing really." She said. "Just take care."

Sasuke grunted in response, as he tied the last strip. As he stood , he heard his mother's scream from the kitchen.

"Have a safe trip!"

He sighed. His mother still treated him like he was her pretty five-year-old son. He left the house. But before closing the door, he heard Sakura.

"Mikoto, what's a Hokage?"

Sasuke knew his mother would probably spend the whole afternoon explaining the most basic things to Sakura so she wouldn't blow up the cover they had created for her.

After walking for some time around the village, Sasuke entered the Hokage building ten minutes earlier than expected. As he went inside, he was greeted by Tsunade's assistant, Shizune.

"Hello Uchiha-san. I see you are a bit early. Tsunade-san wasn't expecting you until four."

"I didn't have anything else to do." He bluntly explained.

Shizune was satisfied with that brief but explicative reason. Everyone knew Uchihas didn't like wasting words.

"Tsunade-san is not busy right now, so she might receive you a bit earlier. Please wait for a minute."

While Shizune called Tsunade, Sasuke sat in one of the room's cosy chairs and waited. He started reflecting on what Tsunade would want to tell him, and what he had to tell Tsunade. But just the thought of Sakura bothered him, so he separated those thoughts from his mind, while his inner Sasuke pestered him. He spent the next minutes having an internal fight with himself, which ended with his victory after he mentally attacked his inner self with a fire jutsu.

"Um… Uchiha-san?"

As he raised his head, he noticed Shizune's strange gaze.

"I'm sorry to bother you. Were you thinking about something important?"

"No, not really." At that moment, he was glad that she couldn't read his mind: she would laugh if he saw how he was sticking a sword in and out his other self's chest.

"Tsunade told me she was ready to attend you. You can go up to her office."

"Thank you for telling me, Shizune-san. I'll be going now."

As Sasuke walked up the stairs to where Tsunade was waiting, he tried to organize all the information he had about the Sakura in his mind in a somehow comprehensible way, so his speech would make sense. If he started talking about made up names, chakra flows and arranged marriages, Tsunade would kick him out of the same door he had come in through.

He knocked on the door. Nothing. He knocked again. Nothing. As he knocked continuously on the door, and no response came, he decided to go inside. If Tsunade had summoned him, he would not waste his precious time waiting for her to decide when she felt like answering.

Tsunade was sitting on her chair, with her back facing the door, as she contemplated her village through the glass window. Sasuke knew she was perfectly aware that he was there, and she was probably just making him wait. He sometimes needed to be reminded that Uchiha Sasuke was not the most important person in the world, and Tsunade had seriously decided to do so. He opened his mouth to say something but, as if reading his intentions, the Hokage was quicker than him.

"Ah, my precious village. Isn't it beautiful?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "I definitely think it is, and that is why I fight so hard every single day of my life to protect it, both the place and the people who live in it. Home is where the heart is, right? If so, this is my home, and I'm sure most people living here will agree with me. I would die protecting this place. But…" she turned her chair round with a swift movement, and Sasuke found her clear eyes staring directly into his. "… I'm not so sure about the reasons why you fight, Sasuke-san. Is it because you love the village? Or just because this is what you have been told to do?"

Sasuke reflected on his feelings for a second.

"I don't know whether I love this place or I just appreciate it because this is where I have grown up. But I will protect it with all my might, because this is the place where my precious people live, and where my memories take place."

"You have just spoken almost like a true ninja, Sasuke-san. I am very proud of you."

"Thank you, Tsunade-san."

"Sorry for asking you such extravagant questions. I am just feeling nostalgic today. Age makes you see how truly precious, but ephemeral things are. Sit down, Sasuke-san. I am sure you will welcome the news I have to tell you."

Sasuke took a seat in the chair Tsunade was waving her hand towards. He sat there, looking at her, while she seemingly put some of the papers on her desk in order. But both of them knew she was only doing it to make him wait. A minute later, she was done.

"Sasuke-san. Why do you think I have summoned you here today?"

"I don't know."

"But surely, you must have some kind of intuition."

"You are right. I was thinking it might be a mission, hopefully an ANBU one, since you didn't call my ex-team along."

Tsunade smirked.

"I can see your deductions are still quite right, Sasuke-san. You are absolutely correct." She paused for a few seconds as she fell deeply in thought. "I have called you because we have detected an abnormal mass of ninjas which are starting to move near Sound. This happens normally. Ninjas travel. But this time, there seems to be something wrong. They aren't just travelling. They are organised, and each of them seems to know exactly where they are going. It might not be something that will harm us, but we are still worried about it. Therefore, we will send a team consisting of five people to investigate. The details..." she handed him a rolled scroll. "...are in here. But I will give you some relevant information."

"You will be paired up with Neji, Sai and Shikamaru. And you will be taking Ino as well."

"Ino? But she is still a chuuin, right?"

"Yes. But as you know, her body transfer ability might come in handy. She is a very experienced ninja, and I don't doubt she will be capable of handling everything that comes in her way. But I would like you to take good care of her. She can be kind of an airhead sometimes."

"I am sure she will be very responsible." If Sai was going, Ino would do everything she could to make things easier and to impress him. "And how did you choose the other members of the team?"

"As you know, all of them have abilities which will help. Neji has the Byakugan, Shikamaru is our best strategist and he has his shadow technique, with which he can capture ninjas silently. Sai can attack people distantly and discretely with his ink, and is also extremely skillful spying and eavesdropping. And you... well, you have your Sharingan, and you are one of our most strong and reliable ANBU members. Isn't that enough?"

"Of course, Tsunade-san. I was not asking for you to excuse yourself."

"Don't worry, Sasuke-san. However, be sure to read all the information in the scroll as soon as you get home. You will be leaving on Monday, as soon as the sun sets."

It was Friday.

"Understood, Tsunade-san."

"However, Sasuke-san, don't think I am done yet. I have to comment some things with you. I received your brother in my office a while ago, and he told me something very interesting..."

_Please, don't let it be true!_

"What is this about an arranged marriage?"

Sasuke felt his head fall to the floor. He sweat dropped, cursing his brother with all the swearing words he could imagine.

"It is actually not like that, Tsunade-san."

"Then, how is it? I would like to hear it from you."

"I know this will sound strange, Tsunade-san, but I can't let anyone else hear about it. Can anyone hear us?"

Tsunade pulled on a confused face.

"Of course not. As you know, this room is protected against all kinds of eavesdropping, be it physical or by jutsu means."

"Okay, then listen to the story."

Seeing how serious Sasuke looked, Tsunade looked at him attentively. Maybe it was a story worth listening to.

* * *

Sakura hummed happily as she scrubbed the last clean plate with a drying cloth. She it put it in its corresponding shelf, along with the others she had cleaned previously. She had offered to help with the domestic chores. It was all she could do at that moment to thank the Uchihas for having taken her in. Mikoto had thanked her, and had gone to change into nicer clothes. They were going shopping that afternoon, so Sakura wouldn't have to walk around in her kimono all the day, and she wouldn't have to feel embarrassed about asking Mikoto for clothes.

Meanwhile, Sakura was thinking about Hinata's proposal. She started daydreaming. If she turned out to be a good ninja, maybe she could get a part-time job as one, and then she could maybe earn some money and help out at the Uchiha's (even if they were already scaringly rich) and...

They were all dreams. But she hoped they would come true some day.

Not knowing who she was, where she belonged to... was scary. She didn't know if she had a real family, other friends and maybe another home. But, since she didn't remember, it didn't bother her at all. If she remembered someday, if her true family appeared someday, if something happened... she was sure everything would work itself out. However, all she wanted at that moment was to enjoy her new life, and to be accepted by all her new precious people. The Uchihas, the teams, Ino, Hinata... She felt happy.

She had made new friends. She had a new family. She was going shopping. What else could she ask for?

She closed the door of the kitchen and she sat down on one of the couches. Seconds later, the sound of someone going down the stairs was heard, and Mikoto's sweet voice rang clearly throughout the house.

"Sakura, dear, shall we get going?"

"Yes!"

* * *

When Sasuke finished the story, Tsunade remained there, with her eyes now closed, thinking about everything that the Uchiha had told her.

"There are some points you made which make sense, Sasuke-san."

"For example?"

"For example, what you said about her absorbing chakra from the outside. That is a secret which is kept from most ninjas, but following sage training, you learn how to absorb and control the natural chakra. This ability to use the absorbed chakra is what makes a difference between usual techniques and sage ones. However, to do that, you must remain completely still to allow yourself to bond with nature."

"That doesn't make sense. She was standing there, moving from side to side, and even walking while that happened!"

"I can't help you out then. And what you told me about her apparent amnesia... I agree with you that it is not normal. If she is a ninja, maybe some kind of restrictive jutsu has been applied on her memory. Because if everything you told me about her chakra is true, then the only alternative we have left is to assume that she is a ninja. But it is somehow strange that I have not heard about it. Usually, when a ninja disappears on a mission to a country, the kage of that country will tell the other kage to search for the lost ninja. I have not received any kind of news regarding lost ninjas since a few weeks ago, and we found the group soon afterwards."

"But we just found her yesterday night. The village might not have had enough time to realize that she has gone missing."

"I agree with you, Sasuke-san. It is very possible that they have not realized yet. However, if in three days' time I have not received any special notice, I will ask if any nation has sent a pink-haired kunoichi to Konoha on a mission. I doubt she has appeared here by coincidence, Sasuke, especially if she is as powerful as you described."

Sasuke thought he saw a shadow of worry clouding over Tsunade. He was left in shock by it. Tsunade never worried over such trivial matters.

"Tsunade-san, are you worried?"

"I actually am, Sasuke-san. I don't know if you realize what you said. If she is actually as powerful as Naruto, that means that, as soon as she is fighting at her full capability, she will be more powerful than you or me. She can cause extreme danger if we are not able of controlling her. That is why I would like to request to attend her first training session too. There, I might be able to figure some things out."

"You do not need to ask for permission, Tsunade-san. You are welcome to come."

"Fine. I will tell Hinata to give Sakura her first class on Sunday. That way, before you go, we will get to see if she truly is dangerous."

"That would be perfect. None of us will have anything to do on Sunday."

"However, before you leave, I need to comment something else with you, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke was silent. Tsunade continued.

"After all you've told me about Sakura... Think about it. A mysterious appearance. No single memories. The ability to use chakra... don't these things sound familiar?"

Sasuke reflected on Tsunade's words for a moment. And he then understood what she meant. He knew someone else who had been through the same as Sakura. It was, in fact, someone whom he and Sakura had met that same morning.

"Sai?"

* * *

So this was all this time again. Any comments, suggestions, ideas and contructive critics are welcome!

COC

* * *


	8. He, She, Feelings, Time

Here I am again, having found a new beta-reader who will help me with my previous chapters and, hopefully, with the ones which are yet to come. Thanks to Chizune.

I would also like to thank Kaydreams for reviewing after such a long time. It is encouraging to see that there are people who are still interested on this story.

Here goes chapter 7.

* * *

"_After all you've told me about Sakura... Think about it. A mysterious appearance. No single memories. The ability to use chakra... don't these things sound familiar?"_

_Sasuke reflected on Tsunade's words for a moment. And he then understood what she meant. He knew someone else who had been through the same as Sakura. It was, in fact, someone whom he and Sakura had met that same morning._

"_Sai?"_

_

* * *

  
_Chapter 7: He, She, Feelings, Time

"That's exactly who I was thinking about." Tsunade replied, seemingly satisfied with his deduction.

"But, even if these things coincide, I am not sure these incidents are related. Think about it. Sai appeared under totally different circumstances. He was just a scared boy, who was found crying in the surrounding woods one day. We took him in, assuming that he was an orphan from war. Assuming that, from the shock, he didn't remember his precedence."

"Isn't it the same for Sakura? She doesn't remember anything, judging by what you said."

"But Sai was just like any other ninja. He started showing a little talent for jutsus and, just like all of us, he was sent to the Academy where he improved as a ninja. He has developed normally as a student, training to improve especially with his ink techniques. Okay, he has always been deeply linked to Root, but that is not important. Sakura… she's a totally different case. She's already a ninja. She has an amount of chakra which can't be compared to Sai's. And, even though we have always assumed that Sai was an orphan who lost his memories due to the shock… we can't do the same thing for her. It's impossible and irrational to try to link both cases."

"I am not sure about that, Sasuke-san. There is just something that… Well, I don't know." She rested her front on her hand tiredly, in a troubled gesture. "You are dismissed, Uchiha Sasuke. Today, you have given me a lot to think about."

Sasuke obeyed. He bowed his head and, as he went out of the door, he heard Tsunade give out a deep sigh.

-

"Oh, Sasuke, you're home! Sakura, dear, Sasuke's here!"

Sakura was in her new provisional room, brushing her long hair, when she heard Mikoto's scream. She immediately stood up, threw the hair brush onto the dressing table and went down the stairs calmly, trying to keep her head up high and walk in an elegant manner, just like Mikoto had recommended her to. She didn't want to seem like a bad-mannered person. If the son of the woman who had been taking care of her arrived home, she would go and greet him. Plus, she thought, he had found her last night, so it was something she felt forced to do, despite his cold attitude towards her.

She discretely crept into the kitchen, where Mikoto was brewing tea and Sasuke was sitting on a chair, with his usual stoic face and cool demeanor. Mikoto asked her son:

"So, Sasuke, how did the meeting with the Hokage go?"

"Well, it was quite brief. I was given a mission, and I just talked to her about a few things. I then went to train for a bit. And afterwards, I went to the office to help around but Dad and Itachi were doing well, so they just gave me a few papers to sign and then they sent me home."

"Well, I'm glad everything went well. Ah, Sakura, you're there! Look, Sasuke!"

The Uchiha son slowly opened his eyes and turned around, fixing his gaze on her for a few seconds. Judging by the way he was looking at her, he must have known she was there since she had gone in. After staring at her uninterestedly for a few seconds, he turned around again and took the tea Mikoto was handing him.

Sakura frowned. She knew that Uchihas weren't very keen on being overly sweet, but he could at least have made a comment on her new dress.

"Welcome home." She said indifferently, strangely hurt by his lack of enthusiasm. He didn't answer. She took a seat opposite of him, and took a cup of tea from the tray on the table. Mikoto sat besides Sakura, putting on a warm smile.

"This afternoon, Sakura and I went shopping. We've bought her some dresses and casual clothes, shoes and even a training suit. We also went to the flower shop, and we got a few bunches to put in the living room. There we even sakura blossoms on sale. Since they were the first of the year, and they are said to bring good luck, we got some branches with a few buds. Ino was there, and she and Sakura seemed to get along very well, right?"

"Yes, Ino is a very kind and amusing person. While you were deciding on the flowers, we talked about a lot of things."

"She invited you to have a snack with her tomorrow afternoon, so what are you going to tell her?"

"Well, the truth is that I don't know what I should do. I am afraid that, if I accept, I'll go there and, one way or another, blow up my cover. There are so many things I just don't know… and besides, I won't go without your permission."

Mikoto burst out laughing. Sasuke and Sakura stared at her.

"Sakura, dear, of course you can go! And besides, it will not be a questionnaire. I am sure that you will not talk about things which will need preparation. As long as you answer what you think is right, I am sure that everything will be alright."

"And what if she asks me something like my parent's names or things about my past? I will not have an answer to that."

"Well, you can make that up, and if you do, be careful to tell everyone the same thing. This morning, I laid out for you the basic story of your life. So, form that base, you can expand on it however you want to."

Sakura seemed to doubt for a second, but her face lit up afterwards.

"I think I will manage by myself. I will just have to create my own past. Thank you so much, Mikoto-san."

"And what do you think, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha sipped his tea distractedly

"I think that, if you think before you talk, and you don't start saying things which contradict each other, nothing has to go wrong."

At least, he had not refused to let her go. Maybe he didn't hate her as much as she had thought.

Or maybe he did, and he was just trying not to get his mother mad.

That doubt clouded her thoughts. Judging by his attitude towards her, she deduced that he didn't like her. She didn't want him to despise her for whatever reason. After all, as far as she knew, she hadn't done anything that could possibly make the ninja loathe her. He was her saviour, and she would eternally be grateful for that. Nevertheless, that didn't mean she didn't find him arrogant and cold. Sakura stood up, and put a hand on her chest.

"Okay! I will be sure to make you feel proud of me, Mikoto-san."

"I'm sure you will, dear."

Sakura started picking up the tea cups and cleaning up the table, while she thought happily about how great her life was at that second. Being a person who only needed simple things to be happy, with love from her adoptive mother, friendship from her new acquaintances and respect from her father and oldest brother life seemed so great! The only thing which darkened her perspective was the thought of her saviour who, despite having bothered to pick her up the previous night, seemingly hated her.

-

Sasuke reflected on the events of the day. His head hurt just at the thought of the many things that had happened. The discovery of Sakura's power was the thing which he found the most mysterious.

During dinner, both Sasuke's dad and Itachi had complimented Sakura on how good the dress looked on her. It was not like the dress didn't suit her- in fact, it did- but he had just felt bothered by the excess of compliments with which both (especially Itachi) had showered her. He felt like his family was quite hypocritical when it came to Sakura. All that she had done ever since she had come was bother them, especially Mikoto, and the only thing they did was compliment her? Of course, he knew it was now too late to tell her to leave, but he still felt bothered by the fact that they had taken a stranger in.

"_Even though she's gorgeous?"_ his inner self teased him. Sasuke threw another fire jutsu at him.

However, there was one good thing he had noticed about her. She wasn't one to just take everything for granted. She knew she had been taken into the Uchiha family because they were generous and it was not really a problem (they could have had ten children and still maintain their great living standard, since their house was enormous and their bank account had more than ten ciphers), but she still worked hard to try to help as much as she could and, that way, express her gratitude. That effort she made was one of the things Sasuke appreciated.

Sasuke laid on his bed and took out of his pocket the scroll that Tsunade had given him previously. He started reading it. A few maps of the location they had to search around were included, with notes and other data to help them do their work. As he studied the position of the tents, he realized that Tsunade was right. It was not just passing ninjas. They were an organized group. The disposition and orientation of their camp was that of a defensive situation, made to detect any possible intruders and eliminate them as soon as possible. Even though they were not included in the map, Sasuke could imagine the traps which were settled around the camp.

Judging by the information, it would not be an easy mission. But Sasuke felt happy. He liked challenges, and this looked like a good one.

As he was finishing with the scroll, he heard a very soft knock in the door. He sighed. It was probably Sakura. She was the only one who knocked in that house. Mikoto just banged on the doors, Itachi came in without anyone asking him and Fugaku never went: if he had to talk to anyone, he would summon them to where he was. That way, they learnt to respect the head of the family.

"Come in." he sighed.

Just as expected, the pink-haired girl peeped into the room.

"Come on, don't just stand there like a statue! You're wasting my time."

Sakura went in, and closed the door behind her. Sasuke left the scroll on his lap, crossed his arms and stared at Sakura.

"So what do you want?" he asked.

The girl fidgeted nervously, looking at her hands. However, she seemed to gain some courage and she then asked in a low voice.

"Sasuke-kun, do you hate me?"

Sasuke sighed, taking his hand to his forehead. He knew that this girl was going to give him a lot of headaches.

"Why do you think so?"

Sakura, more calm seeing that his reaction wasn't that of anger, raised her gaze and fixed it on his. They both started at each other with intensity for a few seconds. Sasuke could feel the great force which Sakura transmitted.

"Well, because you never talk to me. As soon as I say something, you stare at me like I said something stupid or something you didn't like. You completely ignore me most of the time and, when I talk to you, you either don't answer or you talk to me like I am someone despicable. Aren't those enough reasons?"

The Uchiha was left stunned for a second, but nevertheless smirked. She was certainly one with character. She didn't resemble at all the girl whom he had found twenty four hours before. In that short period of time, her character had changed completely, from naïve and soft-spoken to fighter and smart.

"You have misunderstood me completely, then. I don't hate you. You haven't done anything for me to hate you. All that happens is that you can't expect me to like you straight away. You've only been here for a day and, even if we have gotten to know each other, that doesn't mean I am forced to adore you."

"Well, it's true that we don't have to desperately fall in love with each other but, since we are now living under the same roof, don't you think we should do everything we can to get along?"

Sasuke sighed once again. He folded the scroll and left it on the table. Since he predicted that it would not be a short conversation, he thoufht that they might as well get comfortable. As he sat straight on his bed, he motioned her towards the chair. She understood, and sat down. She then brought up her knees and hugged them. Sakura then seemed to realize something, and her expression changed from that of defiance to a slightly ashamed one.

"I'm sorry." She simply stated.

"What for?"

"It's just because... things are changing so quickly. I feel somehow lost. It has only been a day since this life started for me, but I already feel like it's the only one I have ever had. That's why I forget that this is my new life, and that I have no right to interfere with those people who already had bonds much before I came in. I was selfish, and took the liberty to judge people I am not familiar with, just like I judged your actions before. I also act like I am a full member of the Uchihas while, in reality, I am just someone who is being taken care of by a generous family. After reflecting on it, I've realized that I was just being egocentric, thinking it was your entire fault and not blaming myself, when truly I am the one most at fault. That's what I am apologizing for."

"Don't start trying to make yourself feel bad about it. The most logical thing in this situation would be to recognize your mistake and accept it, trying to look forward and not trip over the same stone twice. The time you spend sulking will be wasted time, so try to give it your best from now on, and make all the efforts you can to help other people. I know you must probably be suffering, not knowing where you come from or where you're going to, but that doesn't mean you can't make people you appreciate happy, even if it's just an ephemeral happiness."

Sasuke felt like a teacher lecturing a child. Nevertheless, Sakura smiled, not bothered by that fact. It was a very bright smile, a pure and sincere grin which Sasuke had never seen from anyone.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I truly misjudged you. You are a very kind person."

He just grumbled. Sakura kept on smiling.

"I will follow your advice. From today, I will always try to make everyone smile, and not judge them if they don't. But, in return, you have to do so, too."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the kind of person who will just smile all day and make other people happy. I try to do it in my own way. But I also try my best to protect those who I care for."

Sakura moved restlessly on the chair.

"By the way, Sasuke-kun, I heard you talking about a mission today. Your mother explained a lot of things to me today, like who the Hokage is and a little about this village's history and previous Hokages, but she didn't mention missions. Are they dangerous? Will you be alright?"

"Yes, everything is always like that. I am a high-rank member, so it's not unusual for me to go on missions. A group of ninjas just go and do what the Hokage tells them to. In this case we have to go and check on an irregularity in the border with another country, but it's not something dangerous." Sasuke was lying, but he could not tell Sakura about it. "I will be off on Tuesday, and I will probably be back by Friday."

"Thank God. I thought it was something more dangerous. But, if you put it like that..."

"Even if it was something dangerous, I would be alright. I am used to dealing with criminals and such."

"Well, that certainly sounds dangerous... but I'll root for you. Even if it is just a normal mission, I will be supporting you with all my might from here. You and the rest of your group. So be sure to come back safely."

"By the way, now that you mention it, Ino will be in my group. So you might as well give her your support tomorrow. I'm sure she will appreciate it greatly."

"Okay, I will make sure to do so. Thank you for telling me, Sasuke-kun." She suddenly took her hand to her mouth, and put on an ashamed face again. "Sorry! I mean, I don't know if I should call you Sasuke-kun, since we are not that close yet. Would you rather have me call you "Sasuke-san" or "Uchiha-san"?"

Those names sounded wrong in her lips. He usually felt bothered when other people talked to him informally but, to his surprise, he found himself saying.

"No, don't worry. Sasuke-kun is fine. I'd rather be called that than "Uchiha-san". It sounds weird coming from you."

Sakura laughed again.

"And besides," the Uchiha said. "We're family now."

"Yes..." Sakura smiled dreamily. "From now on, we are."

-

The smell of fresh cherry blossoms filled the room, dark except for the moonlight which came through the window. Sakura was sitting in front of her desk, with her head resting on the palm of her hand, while she held a branch of sakura with the other. She had already changed into her pijamas, the one that Mikoto-san had bought for her. It was deep green, with a mid-sleeved buttoned shirt and pants which got to just under her knees. It was loose on her, but she liked it that way: it was much easier to move around. She had chosen it because she found it practical. Since it was neither long of short, it could be used indistinctly throughout the year.

Sakura was deep in thought. She was supposed to be sleeping but, after her conversation with Sasuke, she had many things to think about. After they had decided to try to get along, Sasuke had helped Sakura to create the basic layout of her past, in case someone asked. He had also given her useful tips regarding what he thought they would ask her and how she was supposed to answer. However, if they asked her something she wasn't comfortable with, she could always change the topic or just pretend it was something which she didn't want to talk about.

After all, Sasuke had ended up being a great guy. However, his stoicism and indifference had made her get a wrong impression of him. From then on, Sakura decided she wouldn't treat Sasuke as her saviour anymore, but as a friend, and as family. Was he her brother? Her father? She didn't think he fitted into any of those categories. While she could perfectly imagine Itachi as being her obnoxious big brother, Mikoto as her gentle mother and Fugaku as her cool father, she was incapable of making him belong to any of those categories. So, after breaking her head, she decided not to classify him. Sasuke was Sasuke, a member of her family.

Sighing, she left the branch again in the vase, where it was supposed to be. She closed the curtains, making the milky white light dissappear, and she lay on her bed, in complete darkness. It didn't take long until she was fast asleep.

* * *

To be continued. Please, review. Thanks to all of you who have read up to here. I am very interested in knowing what you think of this fic so far.

COC

* * *


	9. Withered Apologies

Here I am with chapter 8. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Do I own Naruto? No, I don't think so. I'll inform you if this changes, but I don't think that'll be the case.

* * *

_She didn't think he fitted into any of those categories. While she could perfectly imagine Itachi as being her obnoxious big brother, Mikoto as her gentle mother and Fugaku as her cool father, she was incapable of making him belong to any of those categories. So, after breaking her head, she decided not to classify him. Sasuke was Sasuke, a member of her family._

_Sighing, she left the branch again in the vase, where it was supposed to be. She closed the curtains, making the milky white light disappear, and she lay on her bed, in complete darkness. It didn't take long until she was fast asleep._

* * *

Chapter 8: Withered Apologies

"So, Sakura, tell us about your life with the Uchihas!"

That was the question that Sakura was hoping not to hear that beautiful spring afternoon.

She was in Ino's house, having tea with her at the back of the shop, which was coincidentally her house's kitchen. A light scent of various flowers floated in the air, making it a pleasure to breathe in. The tea and the biscuits were delicious too.

The company was not to be underrated either. Ino had also invited Hinata to come over, and had also tried to ask a girl named Ten Ten, but it seemed that for some reason or another she couldn't come. So the three girls were having tea and enjoying the time when there were no customers in the shop. At first, conversation had been easy. They had talked about weather, flowers and training. But, judging by Ino's direct question, it seemed that she was interested in other things. Sakura deduced that Ino had probably heard the rumors about her and Sasuke, even though he had especially taken care not to tell anyone about the arranged marriage issue.

Itachi was to blame for it. All Konoha knew that he was the king of gossip. No secrets were safe with him. In fact, most of Sasuke's private information which people knew about was due to his lack of sense of other people's privacy. He was continuously receiving offers from Sasuke's fan club to investigate his personal spaces, but he always refused them. Gossiping was something, but getting paid for giving information was another thing. Even though he actually had a cool and calm façade, just like all Uchihas, you could clearly see his mother's traits within him.

"Well… I like a lot living with them. Mikoto-san is just like a caring mother, and Fugaku-san resembles a dad, but he is more distant. Itachi and Sasuke are like brothers, but they are also my friends, or so I think. I feel like I'm at home. They are my new family."

"Just family?" Ino asked, scrutinizing Sakura. The pink-haired girl nodded. That was all that they were to her. Her family. She didn't harbor any other feelings for any of them. Ino then lost all interest in the conversation. She folded her arms behind her head and pouted. "Duh, how boring. I was expecting something juicier. And… isn't there incest between you and Sasuke, or something like that?"

"Ino! Don't say things like those!" Hinata intervened. "Sorry, Sakura. Don't answer that question."

"Actually, I don't mind answering it. There is nothing going on between Sasuke and me. As I told you before, he's like family to me."

"Talking about your family, could you explain what was your life like before you came here?" Ino asked.

Sakura started reciting the story she had made up the previous night.

"Well, I was born in a small town in the Lightning country. My dad's name was Hiromi Haruno, and he was a farmer. My mother's name was Hotaru Haruno, and she helped my father. I am an only child. I lived with them and helped in the farm and, when I was twelve, I also started working part time in a clothing store. I don't know why, but most boys back then were in love with me and many asked tme out, but I didn't like them. When I became fifteen, I left my job in the store and started to dedicate all my time to the farm, and to train on how to become a good wife. But I didn't want that. I knew how to read, and I had read a lot of books which talked about other countries and distant places. And I dreamt of visiting them. I asked my mother to let me travel using my own money, because I had saved up most of the money I had earned working in the store, and my family was never poor. And she agreed to it with the condition that I should first finish my training. I did so and, at the age of sixteen, when I learnt everything I could be taught, my mother contacted an old friend of hers here in Konoha and asked her to let me stay with her for a while. That way, I could visit other countries while travelling. That friend was Mikoto. She agreed and, here I am!"

"Wow, Sakura, your life must've been a lot of fun, right? I mean, working at a clothing store, getting prepared for marriage, having all the guys fall for you… None of us ninjas can do that (except for Sasuke, who can actually make all girls fall in love with him). All that we can do is train and go on missions. We can never live like normal people." Ino sighed. "Well, even if so, I like my job. It's very gratifying."

"Yeah, I agree." Said Hinata. "But I sometimes wonder how it would've been to live like a normal person."

"Oh, no! I truly would've liked to be a ninja. I mean, when I saw as a child all those ninjas and kunoichis training, I would dream about being one of them. Normal life can also be a bit boring. Nevertheless, as a ninja, I'm sure that you can never truly become bored."

"Well, that's true. You always have things to do. If you are not sent on a mission, you have training or exams, you have to help your teammates, help with the family business… And, if you don't have anything to do, you can go and pester your friends." Ino said. "Especially Sasuke."

The three girls laughed. It was certainly a wonderful afternoon.

-

Sasuke strolled down Konoha's main street. He was going to pick Sakura from Ino's house. Mikoto had insisted on him going, because she said you could never know what kind of people there could be in the streets at late evening. She had let the girl go alone, but she hadn't allowed her to go back on her own. Since Fugaku and Itachi were "too busy", he was sent.

However, in reality, he knew that that wasn't the real reason. All the family could feel the tension whenever Sakura and Sasuke were together. So they tried to use all the opportunities they had to let them be together alone and try to get along. It was all futile, though.

Since the night before, many things had cleared up. He now could understand Sakura a tiny bit better, and their relationship was starting to be that of true friends, just like the one he had with Ino or Hinata. So he didn't appreciate his family trying to interfere with his own business. Making friends is a slow process. First, they have to show you what you really mean to them.

His thoughts went back to the conversation they had had the previous evening.

'I should also try to excuse myself. I must've sounded like a bad person, trying to teach her about life. I should tell her I don't see her as an inferior being. She must've thought so after yesterday's comments. I went overboard. They were a bit too preachy.'

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice how close he passed to Ichiraku's. If he had been a little bit more aware of his surroundings, he would've immediately taken a detour, to avoid the slightest possibility of being trapped by his ex-teammates and teacher. Luckily enough for Sasuke, there was no one there yet. He had avoided the capture.

It didn't take a long time to get to Ino's. The sun was setting as he entered the flower shop. The sound of ringing bells filled the room, immediately followed by a series of footsteps. Ino peeked from the door behind the counter. When she saw him, she closed the door behind her, and went up to him.

"Oh, it's you Sasuke. I assume you're here to pick up Sakura right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Okay, I'll call for her."

"Wait a second, Ino. Before picking her up, I've also come here as a customer."

That surprised the blonde girl.

"Oh, alright. What would you like?"

"I'd like a flower which held a meaning of forgiveness."

"Mmm… let's see." Ino walked around the shop, looking at various flowers, until she stopped in front of one bouquet and extracted one. " This is a purple hyacinth. In occidental language, it means "forgive me"."

"That's exactly what I want. Thank you very much."

"How many would you like?"

"Oh, just one is fine."

As Sasuke was paying for it, Ino called for Sakura. She immediately appeared, wearing the same dress as the night before, with a huge smile on her face. Hinata timidly walked out behind her.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun."

"Hello, Sasuke-kun."

"Hello Hinata-chan. I'm here to accompany Sakura home."

"Well, does she really need that? Or is it just an excuse?"

"Ino! That wasn't nice!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Alright, alright! I won't meddle into your business anymore." Ino said, even though everyone in that room knew it was a very big lie.

"Then, we're leaving. Thanks for your time, Ino. Let's go, Sakura."

"Bye Hinata-chan, bye Ino."

"Goodbye, Sakura-chan."

"Goodbye, forehead girl." Ino maliciously said.

Sakura was about to answer back when Sasuke pulled her arm and forced her to continue walking.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"If you had answered back, you two would've probably gotten into a fight. All that I want is to get home, and I don't want to waste my time seeing you and Ino quarrel."

"Alright, alright."

Silence settled between the two. Sakura was reflecting on whether or not her forehead was big.

"So, how did everything go?"

"Oh, it went fine. Ino believed my story. We talked about the Uchiha family, and she told me about her life as a ninja. Hinata-chan was very kind, too. We had tea and home-made cookies."

Sakura then noticed the flower in his hand.

"Who's that for?" she asked.

Sasuke didn't know how to answer back in a way in which she wouldn't feel alluded. In the end, he decided for the safest option.

"It's for a person whom I've been mean to."

"Oh? What did you do to that person?"

"Well, I made this person feel inferior, and I kind of went overboard lecturing her."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you. I mean, you're a good person, Sasuke-kun. A bastard most of the time, but a good person."

"… I didn't really like that."

"Sorry."

This time, Sasuke did realize they were getting close to Ichiraku's. He reflected on the detours, when he realized he only had one option.

It he wanted to get to his house safely, he had to cross the park where he had found Sakura.

The thought didn't appeal to him very much, especially because he was accompanied by the girl. But he tried to focus his mind on the image of his blond friend gulping down a blow of ramen in front of his face. It certainly was disgusting. He preferred the park.

The park was much more crowded on that day, and as the twilight set and the sun let its last rays caress the land, the families in the park started to be replaced by couples. It felt somehow awkward.

However, there were still many children playing around. As they walked by, they noticed the contrast between those boys and girls who had come to have fun and those couples who were searching for a bit of intimacy. In spite of the differences, the two groups of people mixed quite homogeneously, in a way they didn't disturb each other.

Sasuke had mentioned to Sakura that he had found her under a sakura tree, but he hadn't mentioned any sakura tree in particular. So the girl didn't suspect anything while they were nearing the blossoming tree. In fact, she was too lost in her own thoughts to realize it was a sakura tree until she was very near.

The girl was mesmerized by the beauty of the tree. It stood gigantically, with an almost ethereal elegance in the middle of that town. The blossoming buds were glowing in the last lights of twilight, and the wind made the leaves move to produce a calm and peaceful sound. The trunk was thick and strong, with a gnarled appearance. She stopped walking, and let her eyes lost between the greenery.

Sasuke walked a few steps forward until he noticed she wasn't by his side. The Uchiha turned around, bothered by her tardiness, when he saw the girl walking towards the tree.

Sakura's eyes were empty, fixed upon the branches of that beautiful creature. She stepped forward, with a desire to touch that tree. Her heart seemed to ache for its touch, and she would swear that she heard a voice, the voice of the tree itself, calling her name, asking for her to go…

The wind started blowing, and her pink hair moved in a disorganized way as she walked. She extended her hand. She was about to touch the trunk when a heavy hand fell on her shoulder, waking her up from her dream. Her arm fell limp to her side again. The wind died.

"Sakura? What're you doing?"

The girl blinked.

"Huh? Sasuke-kun? What happened?"

"I don't know. You were walking towards the tree, don't you remember?"

"Oh, yes. I was thinking about how beautiful it was, and I suddenly found myself wanting to touch it. Is there any problem?"

Sasuke was about to answer when a scream was heard, followed by a thumping sound.

Two children, a boy and a girl, had been running around the sakura tree when the boy tripped and fell. He started whimpering and he held his bruised knee, from which blood was starting to come out. The girl approached him concernedly.

Sasuke didn't care about those children. If he had been alone, he would've left without any regret. However, Sakura didn't. She retreated from the tree and neared the boy, who was crying loudly. His friend stood with a confused face, not knowing what to do.

"Hey there, don't cry." She said, as she kneeled besides the child. "What's your name?"

The boy sobbed, and he sniffed.

"Hiromi." He finally said.

"And what's your friend's name?"

"She's Kura."

"Alright then, Hiromi. You've fallen down, but it's okay. You now have to be a big boy, stand up and get your bruise treated. Kura will help you, right?"

The little girl nodded. Sakura didn't intervene. Hiromi wasn't crying anymore. Kura helped him up, and he started walking normally.

"It doesn't hurt that much, right?"

"No." The boy admitted. "I'm alright now!"

"Well, but before you go, let me take a look at the bruise."

Hiromi obeyed, and let Sakura observe his wound. Sasuke was watching the scene. The pink haired touched the skin surrounding the cut, to make sure he hadn't suffered any further damage, when something happened. Without her knowing why, the boy's skin healed itself within seconds in front of her eyes. The cut was gone.

"Wow! So you're a medic! Thanks a lot, onee-chan! I've learned my lesson now! When I fall, I'll stand up again and I won't cry!" the boy said proudly. After smiling and waving, he and Kura left running.

Sakura couldn't answer. What had she done? Sasuke approached her and, when he was about to help her stand up, a cool voice came from behind.

"Well, well, this is a rather interesting scene."

Sasuke turned around, knowing who would be behind him. And it came as no surprise when he saw Neji standing there. Sai was beside the Hyuuga.

"I believe I don't know your friend, Sasuke. Would you mind introducing her to me?"

Sasuke was about to activate his Sharingan, but he realized than despite his attitude, Neji wasn't looking for a fight. He didn't have his Byakugan on. The Uchiha relaxed, but he tensely said.

"Sakura, this is Neji, Neji this is Sakura. I believe you already know Sai from yesterday."

"Ah, so she's the one everyone was talking about. She doesn't seem very talkative." Sakura was still amazed about what she had done. "However, no one informed me that she was a medic."

"She isn't a medic." Explained Sasuke. "She just knows a few healing techniques."

"No one knows "a few healing techniques" if he or she isn't a ninja or a healer, Uchiha."

Sai didn't say anything, but he kept his eyes on Sakura. Sasuke suddenly felt like he wanted to kick the painter in the ass. His gaze was almost menacing, like he hated her.

"I'm sorry, Hyuuga, but I'm afraid she's an exception then. And anyway, what are you doing here? I didn't know about such an issue."

Neji didn't miss Sasuke's obvious implication.

"Cut the crap, Uchiha. We're here on a round. It seems like a strange flow of ninjas was detected today around the city, so various groups have been sent to keep the town under surveillance."

That caught Sasuke's attention.

"Unnatural? Just like in the border?"

"Yes. That's why Tsunade is worried. She didn't give much importance to the ninjas in the border, but since it's also happening near Konoha now, she's got more reasons to believe that someone is planning an attempt against us."

"Hmmm… I understand. Thanks for the information. We will be careful then. If we see anything weird, we will inform you."

"Alright. Have a good night, Uchiha, Sakura-san."

"Good night, Hyuuga, Sai."

Neither Sakura nor Sai spoke. Sakura was seemingly starting to recover from her shock, and the artist's eyes didn't move apart from her until he was far away.

"What have you done, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, not really expecting an answer.

She looked at her hands.

"I don't know, Sasuke-kun… I don't know. It just happened. I didn't do anything, I swear."

"You don't need to say that. You didn't do anything wrong."

He helped her up and, when they were about to leave, he remembered about the flower. He looked at it. The stem was broken due to the strength he had been holding it with. A few petals had fallen. It still looked pretty, but it wasn't the same as before.

Suddenly, everything seemed too unrealistic. He had been planning on giving that flower to Sakura as an apology, but under those conditions it certainly didn't seem the right thing to do. So, before going away, he went to the sakura tree and deposited the flower on the space where he had found Sakura two nights before. Sakura, oblivious to this fact, watched him as he strangely left that flower on that spot.

"Weren't you planning on giving it to someone as an apology?" she said.

"Well, judging by how the circumstances are right now, I've decided it's better not to do anything. I'm sure that person wouldn't like a flower like this, anyway."

"So what did you buy it for then?"

"I don't know, Sakura… I don't know anything anymore."

* * *

Please, read and review.

COC


	10. I Want You To Look At Me

Hello! Thanks for reading up to here. It truly means a lot. This story is dedicated to anyone who reads it, and especially to those who review. Reviews are the writer's candy.

This has been a long chapter. It's like 800+ long than the second longer one. Also, it's my favorite chapter up to now, although I shouldn't say so. I love the scene at the end.

No more rambling on, then! I Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Hmmm... nothing has changed since last time so... I still don't own Naruto (And I don't think I ever will).

* * *

_Weren't you planning on giving it to someone as an apology?" she said._

_"Well, judging by how the circumstances are right now, I've decided it's better not to do anything. I'm sure that person wouldn't like a flower like this, anyway."_

_"So what did you buy it for then?"_

_"I don't know, Sakura… I don't know anything anymore."_

* * *

Chapter 9: I Want You To Look At Me

It was an early Sunday afternoon, the sun shining high in the clear and cloudless sky, which was almost a perfect sheet of blue. Sasuke Uchiha was in the training grounds behind his house, watching the beauty of the universe in a posture similar in which Shikamaru observed his clouds. The light breeze which flowed made the leafs of a nearby tree rub against each other, producing a pleasant and calming sound.

Besides him, also sitting down on the grass in a posture of uttermost elegance and dignity was Tsunade, watching something which was going on a few meters apart.

Under another tree, Hinata and Sakura were seated down with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. The wind caressed their hair and faces. Their breathings were relaxed. The silence present in the air was penetrating, almost a part of the scene by itself.

The two girls were meditating, focusing on everything and nothing at the same time. They felt life around them like they never had before, as if they had been blindfolded up until that moment and they were suddenly being shown all the beauty and secrets of the world.

"Can you feel the energy, Sakura-chan? It's everywhere around us, including our own body."

Sakura nodded. She understood what Hinata meant now.

"Therefore, this is what meditation's for. Now that you've sensed the energy of life, the chakra within you, you'll be able to understand better what I'm going to make you do now."

The blue haired girl opened her pupil-less, and with a swift motion rose up. She then helped Sakura stand up.

"I'm glad you're wearing an appropriate training attire, Sakura-chan."

"Why?"

Hinata smiled in a way which reminded Sakura of a child being given his favorite piece of candy.

"Because you're going to climb up this tree now."

"Wh-what? But… there are no branches I can grab onto!"

"You're going to climb it using chakra. Now that you've been able to sense it, I want you to focus on bringing it to your feet. By doing it the right way, your feet will stick to the trunk without any further problems. If you put too little, you won't be able of climbing up. If you put too much, you'll be repelled by the tree. It might take a while, but it's necessary to get this right before we start."

The Hyuuga stepped forwards and, demonstrating her statement, walked up the trunk with any problems. She then sat on one of the highest branches and dared Sakura with a defying glance to go and catch her.

The pink haired girl took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second and focused on her chakra again. Feeling its continuous flow around her body made her feel calm and ready. She opened her eyes and followed Hinata's steps. As soon as she reached the trunk and put a foot on it, she transmitted to her limb what she thought was the right amount of chakra. She was shocked when she noticed the stability she had, her foot pushing against the tree almost as if she was walking on the Earth. Not letting her little triumph distract her, she continued doing the same thing with the other foot.

In the first try, she reached the same point as Hinata.

"Impressive, Sakura-chan. I'd never have figured out you'd be able to pull this out perfectly the first time. You should know what comes now"

She then proceeded to let herself fall from the branch to the floor, falling soundlessly and unharmed. Sakura followed her teacher this time too, letting her body travel through the air effortlessly and, the second before touching the ground, concentrating a small amount of chakra on her feet. She landed in the same way as Hinata.

"You're good, Sakura-chan."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. You're good too."

"Well, I've been training for years now, so I guess it's just natural that I know this much. You're a much more naturally talented person than I am. Now that we've gone through the control part, I'll actually start teaching you how to do techniques."

-

"Seems like she's a quick learner."

Tsunade's comment made Sasuke open his eyes. He was not interested the slightest bit in the training, and he was just there because he had told her he would be. In reality, he didn't have the slightest idea of why he had had to impose such a condition. He knew that Hinata was a perfectly capable person, and he wasn't particularly interested on her improvements.

"Yeah."

"Sasuke-san, I'm positive that you've been told about the movements we detected outside Konoha."

"Yes."

"Therefore, you must have deducted that the importance of your mission has increased."

"Yes."

"However, you'll also be in a more vulnerable position. With more ninjas than we had expected, there are more possibilities of you ending up being caught. Don't think of me as doubting: I'm perfectly aware of your capacity as a ninja. Nevertheless, we can't afford to send more teams, since it would be difficult to hide so. A five member team is already quite numerous, but I'm still concerned for you safety."

Sasuke didn't say anything.

"I'll send you a map of the surroundings before you leave, indicating the points where you are most likely to find other ninjas. I want you to avoid those at all costs. The main purpose is to investigate the campsite near sound, where all activity seems to be controlled from. I'm positive that, if we manage to bring those ninjas down, all the other squads will be forced to retire from their position, retreating to where the leader is. But remember that the priority is to collect information. Killing will only be allowed in case your own lives are threatened."

"I know that, Tsunade-san."

"I know you know, Sasuke-san. But don't think that, because you're an ANBU team member, any action will be allowed."

"Your attitude towards me lately seems to be quite more aggressive and distrusting than usual, Tsunade-san."

"I needn't remind you, Sasuke-san, because you must've probably have noticed, that the timing between that girl's appearance and the ninja detection has been too exact. I simply can't bring myself to think of this as a coincidence. And, if my theory is correct, you're standing somewhere in between all this. It might not be a casualty that you found her, Sasuke-san."

"Are you implying… that I am involved in this? That I am cooperating with those ninjas and Sakura is our weapon of destruction?"

"Do not misquote or misinterpret me. I haven't ever mentioned anything like that. I've already pondered on the fact that Sakura might be a weapon sent to us in disguise, or a missing ninja. I've checked all existing data on kunoichis, and I can assure you there are no missing ninjas with pink hair."

"It might be dyed, or it might be a jutsu."

"I don't think it's either of those. I've checked her while you were gazing at the sky, and she doesn't have any kind of jutsu placed upon her. As for the dye, I don't think it would be possible to have such an homogeneous tonality, roots included. We've got Kakashi's white hair and Anko's purple one… why can't there be someone with pink hair?"

"I don't know."

"Look, it seems like she's already learned the seals. I guess they'll start off with techniques now. She's proving to be quite capable…"

Sasuke, uninterested, closed his eyes again and rested on the grass.

-

"I'll start teaching you one of the most basic techniques: the bunshin no jutsu. It basically creates a carbon copy of yourself."

"Alright. But… do you think I'll be able of doing it?"

"Of course you will, Sakura-chan. It's not difficult if you've learnt the base. Try to see the progression of signs, and once you've distinguished them, do them and transfer chakra so the technique takes place and you create a copy."

Sakura moved her eyes intently to Hinata. She noticed the heiress' small, pale hands, delicate, but bearing a strange force and strength which probably resulted from so many years of training. She followed each and every movement of those hands, capturing in her mind the shapes they made, almost like taking a quick series of pictures.

A clone of Hinata appeared beside her. Sakura was left bewildered. The new girl was identical to Hinata. From the basic traits, the wrinkles of their clothing, their way of moving… Everything! The two girls looked at each other, both of them smiled, and one disappeared with a poof.

"Did you manage to get a hold of the signs, Sakura? I can repeat them a bit more slowly if you want me to."

"No… you don't need to. I think I've got all of them. Let me try."

The pink haired girl concentrated and brought to her mind the mental pictures she had taken of Hinata's hands. Then, with a mesmerizing accuracy, she went through all of her mental pictures, one by one, replicating those signs with her own hands, while transferring a low and steady amount of chakra. As she finished, she raised her eyelids and was surprised to find an identical copy of herself. With a shriek, she cut off the chakra supply and her other self vanished immediately.

"See, Sakura-chan? It's easy."

"Well… I didn't expect it to be like this. I was a bit surprised, at first."

"Seeing how you can manage easy techniques easily, we'll go up to the next level. If you can successfully complete more advanced techniques, I'll keep on pushing you farther until you can't do them. Do you think you'll be able to do it?"

At first, Sakura was scared. She knew that the lady sitting and watching her was the Hokage, and she didn't want to be left in ridicule in front of her. However, as she reflected on Hinata's previous words, she started pondering on the idea of truly having a talent. If she actually was special… it would be a honor to be seen by the Hokage as she successfully completed advanced jutsus.

"We won't know until we try, so let's get on with it."

-

"Seems like she's on to try something a bit more… dangerous. She managed to complete the bunshin no jutsu in the first try."

"Well, it might've been luck."

"I wonder what they'll do now. It looks like she's a fast learner. Maybe we should ask her to become a ninja for us? She'd be suitable for the job."

"She's already working. For these past days, she's been helping my mother around. Since she's young and full of energy, my mother has now a lot more time in her hands, and she's able to go out more. Since my mother refuses to take in any assistants, and this is Sakura's payment to our family, she'll not be taking any occupation as a ninja."

"Quite possessive, aren't we, Sasuke-san? Are you jealous of me? Or do you feel you'd spend less time with her?"

"I simply tell you the facts, Tsunade-san. I hope you realize that I don't see her as anything special, just as our guest."

"Well, I won't blame you. She's quite good-looking, isn't she? Plus, she doesn't seem to dislike you."

'_See? That's just what I've been telling you!'_ his inner self mocked.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt like the stupidest person in the world. Ever since the previous day, when he had actually protected her, she seemed a lot more eager to talk to him and seemed to enjoy his presence. And then and there, the Hokage herself had to tell him that he liked Sakura and, even further, than Sakura reciprocated his feelings! It was the craziest situation he could imagine himself in.

"Tsunade-san, I'm afraid you don't realize that I don't like Sakura."

Tsunade sighed.

"Obviously. I almost fell into the trap of thinking that you could like a girl, Uchiha."

None of them missed the more than obvious innuendo in Tsunade's statement. The Hokage was obviously implying that Uchiha Sasuke, the most gorgeous guy in the whole of Konoha... wasn't straight. However, in his usual unresponsiveness and disinterest, Sasuke didn't answer and went into a state of deep thinking again.

-

"Let's see, Sakura. Now I'm going to teach you an actual ninjutsu technique. This can actually be a bit dangerous, so you've got to be careful. We'll aim in the opposite direction to where Sasuke and Tsunade are seated."

Using that as an excuse, Sakura took a quick glance in her savior's direction to see if he was looking at her. Much to her disappointment, she could see him lying on the grass and looking at the sky, uninterested to say the least.

'If he wasn't interested… why did he even come in first place?' she thought, strangely hurt by his indifference. Within her mind, her inner self started poking her playfully, but as infuriated as Sakura was, she sent her other self a mental glare which left her reduced to ashes.

'Well, if he isn't interested… I'll make him interested! I'll do something really difficult and cool!'

"… so the first thing we've got to do is… Sakura-chan, are you listening?"

Sakura came down to the earth. Hinata was looking at her, and she had no idea of what the Hyuuga heiress had just been saying. All the possible shades of red colored her face.

"Sorry Hinata-chan… I was distracted. What were you saying?"

"I was telling you that there are five basic chakra types. Fire, water, wind, earth and electricity. As a ninja, you should have an affinity to at least one of them. If you don't, that means you're a medical ninja, so you wouldn't be as much of a fighter as you'd be of a healer. So the first thing we've got to do is determine _what _element or elements you have a natural affinity for."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"We'll make you perform a jutsu for each element. The ones which turn out to be better and come out more easily will probably reflect your natural type. I certainly can't see you as a fire or lightning bearer, so I'm guessing you'd me more of the other three types."

"So, if I'm not of a certain type, does that mean I'm unable of performing jutsus of that kind?"

"No! Nothing of the sort. You'll just find it easier to fight with the element your chakra represents. Therefore, let us start with… earth type."

Hinata then showed her the corresponding seals for a jutsu she called the Genseki no jutsu.

"This jutsu will make a piece of rock lift from the earth's surface. However, you need to be careful, Sakura. If you can't control the piece after you lift it up, it might fly around and hit other people."

As an example, Hinata did the seals, released some chakra, and a piece of rock broke loose form the garden. She kept it afloat for a second, and let it fall to the Earth again.

"Now you, Sakura."

The pink haired kunoichi breathed in. She would do it. She would put all of her heart into it and she would definitely do it so well everyone would be amazed. She did the hand seals Hinata had instructed to, pronouncing the words of power.

"Genseki no Jutsu"

Then, within her subconscious mind, something snapped. A switch was pressed. At that moment, Sakura felt a large power, a blinding light, invade each and every single cell of her body, engulfing her in its radiance. She knew she was capable of doing anything she wanted. And, letting that mysterious power overflow her and spill to the outside, she thought.

'Just wait, Sasuke-kun. I'm surely going to impress you.'

-

Sasuke was the first person to feel it. Lying down as he was, oblivious to what was going on, deep within a state of meditation, he noticed the earth tremble. At first it was almost, unnoticeable. The second time was a bit more bothersome. By the third, he opened his eyes.

A fourth tremor then shook their surrounding noticeably. The surge of power making those vibrations was filling the air with a static energy which made all of the heirs on Sasuke's body stand on end. Looking at the place where most of the chakra seemed to be coming from, the Uchiha found himself staring at the girl he had saved a few days before. She had her eyes closed, and you could tell she was doing some kind of technique.

"Tsunade-san, what jutsu are they doing?" he asked.

"Genseki no Juutsu." She answered.

A fifth tremor then shook the earth, and Sasuke understood everything at once.

'Shit.'

He sprung up with an almost unnatural elasticity and ran towards the place where Sakura was standing, leaving the Hokage behind. Tsunade realized what was going on, and sat down to watch. She'd intervene if things got out of control, but she was sure the Uchiha would manage to get a hold of the situation. Hinata was beside Sakura, not seemingly understanding what was going on.

Sasuke remembered some of the geography classes he'd taken back at the academy. He remembered being told that Konoha was built within a natural valley completely made of stone. It was delimited by the Hokage's cliff on one side, and the forest by the other.

If Sakura was putting enough energy into it, she could lift the whole of Konoha from the ground.

As to gain time, the Uchiha leapt into the air while taking out a single kunai. He activated his Sharingan and, as he had expected to, he saw an almost impossible wave of chakra surging from Sakura and moving towards the inside of the Earth. Hinata stood there dumbfounded, as he gracefully descended towards Sakura. He noticed the Earth shake for a sixth time, the leaves of the trees rustling and his house, a couple of hundred meters away, give out a worrying noise. If he didn't stop her, the whole of Konoha would be destroyed, the plate on which it lay rising from the Earth. The girl was so immersed in her action she didn't notice the agitation she was causing, or the presence of Sasuke near her.

With a swift movement, using the hand he wasn't holding the kunai with, Sasuke pushed Sakura violently onto the ground. He knelt down on her and pinned the kunai against her throat, in an attempt for her to stop. A single drop of blood fell form the tiny cut the blade made. The metal reflected a single ray of light, dyeing it in a red color. However, this didn't seem to wake Sakura up form her trance. The girl simply stared ahead with no emotion whatsoever on her face.

"Sakura-chan!" came Hinata's scream.

"Wake up, stupid!" screamed Sasuke, fearing for the villagers' life. "You're going to kill everyone!"

Sakura didn't hear him, and a seventh tremor hit the land, strong, but still not violent enough as to make houses fall down. Nevertheless, Sasuke knew that if an eight tremor came, that would be disastrous. The rock would completely separate from the ground.

"Sakura!" Hinata's scream pierced his ears and echoed in his mind, driving him crazy. He was about to lose self control.

"I said, wake up!"

He took away the kunai from her neck and, in an action caused by his frustration, slapped her violently across the face. At first nothing happened. Everything stayed motionless, as if someone had frozen the scene. Nobody spoke, nobody moved. The only thing which was heard was the sound of that simple movement.

A few seconds later, Sakura blinked, and went back to normal. The earth seemed to shudder with alleviation. The suspended energy vanished into nothingness. Life resumed itself, birds chirping, the sound of the water in the lake, the wind blowing again, more strongly now.

Hinata seemed like she was about to cry. Or maybe she would faint. Or maybe both things. Sasuke didn't really know what to make from the emotions reflected on the girl's face. Tsnuade, who had been about to take action a few seconds before after seeing Sasuke didn't trigger any response, leaned against a tree and gave a sigh of relief.

Sakura moved her neck and stared at Sasuke, who sin response tared at her. She looked horrible: a string of blood fell from her nose, and her right cheek was becoming bruised where he'd hit her so violently. Her hair was messy, stained with dirt form the hard floor. He knew they were in an awkward position, he leaning over her with his knees on her stomach, but she didn't seem embarrassed. Her face just showed pure surprise.

Anyone would have expected Sakura to snap at Sasuke and yell at him, asking why he had treated her in such a violent way. However, she just asked him with a surprised voice.

"Sasuke-kun? What're you doing?"

The Uchiha released all the accumulated tension. All the feelings of protectiveness and almost... tenderness he'd felt towards her the day before were thrown out of the window. He didn't care about forgiveness anymore. She'd gone far beyond the limits. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, his red eyes shining fiercely.

"Are you stupid? You almost killed half of Konoha back there, idiot!"

Sakura didn't seem to understand.

"What… what are you talking about? I was just practicing a jutsu with Hinata, right?"

"Don't you remember? You've almost lifted the whole village up!"

"Sasuke-kun… Sakura-chan… calm down, please." Hinata's voice went by unnoticed.

"But… I… I just wanted to give it my best so you'd feel proud, Sasuke-kun."

"If you can't learn to control yourself, then we'll all end up dead before you can prove anything to anyone!"

"Uchiha, refrain from making unnecessary assertions, please."

Sasuke directed his furious Sharingan, which was still on, to the Hokage, who was standing beside him. She didn't seem the least bit affected by this, although she'd addressed him rather impolitely. After a few seconds of glaring contest, the Uchiha disconnected his Sharingan and stood up.

"But it's true. We could've died for all we know."

The Hyuuga helped Sakura stand up, and with the end of her sleeve, cleaned all of Sakura's blood from her face. Tsunade then ignored Sasuke and faced Sakura.

"I understand you're Haruno Sakura, then?"

The disheveled girl could do nothing but nod.

"We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Tsunade, and I'm this village's Hokage."

"Umm… nice to meet you." She said, feeling somehow uncomfortable. Although the lady was the image of kindness itself, Sakura couldn't bring herself to relax.

"Nice to meet you, too. What you did back there was incredible. Spectacular, to say the least. I don't think even I could've managed to do something like that. You truly need very large amounts of chakra."

"Well… thank you."

"Don't praise her. What she did was wrong." Sasuke said.

"Shut up, Uchiha. From now on, I'll be the one supervising her training. Hinata, you've done a good job. However, I've got other plans in mind for her. So, starting tomorrow, you're to become my apprentice, Sakura. Is that okay with you?"

The pink haired girl looked helplessly at Hinata, who nodded.

"Yes, sure." Sakura said.

"Now, I'm guessing today's session is finished with. I shall be taking my leave, then. I'll send someone tomorrow to communicate you when our first session is going to be. Sasuke-san, please come with me. I need to discuss a certain matter with you."

After bowing her head, Tsunade left, Sasuke walking beside her. Sakura was left standing there, with Hinata next to her.

"I messed it up big time, didn't I?" Sakura thought aloud.

* * *

So... what did you think? Please, read and review. Any kind of criticism is welcome, as long as it helps me improve this story and know what I'm doing alright and what I'm failing at.

COC


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